In a move that reeks of capitulation under relentless legal pressure, Georgia-based gun accessory maker Fostech Origin has agreed to a $1.75 million settlement in the lawsuit stemming from the 2020 Buffalo supermarket shooting. The shooter, an avowed white supremacist who killed 10 Black shoppers, had modified his rifle with Fostech’s Echo trigger—a binary firing device that allows a round to fire both on pull and release, boosting semi-auto rates of fire without crossing into full-auto territory. After years of courtroom battles, where plaintiffs argued the accessory made the gun unreasonably dangerous, Fostech opted to settle rather than risk a jury verdict that could bankrupt the small company. This isn’t justice; it’s a shakedown disguised as accountability, spotlighting how anti-gun activists exploit tragedy to target innovative 2A products.
Digging deeper, this case exemplifies the predatory novel theory lawsuits pioneered by groups like Everytown for Gun Safety, who shoehorn accessory makers into liability for criminal acts they had zero control over. The Echo trigger is ATF-approved as a semi-automatic device, no different from bump stocks (before their regulatory ban) or forced-reset triggers that have surged in popularity post-Bruen. Yet here we are: a company that built a niche product for enthusiasts now footing a multi-million-dollar bill to families of victims, even though the real culprit—the deranged shooter—faced no such accessory mandate in his arsenal of failures. Context matters: Buffalo wasn’t a gun-free zone failure or a red-flag law lapse (New York had them); it was pure evil amplified by media-fueled narratives blaming hardware over human depravity. Fostech’s settlement, while confidential in details, likely includes no admission of wrongdoing, but the damage is done—precedent set for future suits against any aftermarket part that enhances performance.
For the 2A community, the implications are stark: this is death by a thousand cuts. Small innovators like Fostech, who can’t afford endless litigation, will fold, stifling the very market-driven advancements that keep American firearms ahead of the curve. Post-Bruen, with SCOTUS affirming carry rights, expect more of these cases to test shall-issue states and accessory bans indirectly. The silver lining? It galvanizes support for federal protections like the proposed SHORT Act, shielding makers from junk science claims. Gun owners, don’t just lament—rally behind orgs like GOA and FPC funding defenses. If we let accessories become the new assault weapon bogeyman, the AR-15 itself is next. Stay vigilant; our rights depend on it.
