In a legal backlash against the proliferation of homemade firearms, a Michigan man who was shot in the face by a ghost gun is aiming with a lawsuit against the gun kit supplier and his former best friend who pulled the trigger. Guy Boyd, now 19, was left with life-altering injuries, including the loss of his right eye and the onset of epileptic seizures, after his then-17-year-old friend accidentally shot him in May 2021 using a gun assembled from parts purchased from JSD Supply, The Detroit Free Press reported.
The plaintiff's legal team, which includes Everytown for Gun Safety's litigation arm, University of Michigan Law School's civil-criminal litigation clinic, and Bloch & White law firm, is accusing the Pennsylvania-based company of failing to properly ensure that the buyer was of legal age or able to legally possess a firearm. Furthermore, Boyd's mother, Denise Wieck, told The Detroit Free Press that part of her son's healing process involves raising awareness about the dangers of ghost guns and promoting gun safety through creative projects like a comic book.
Ghost guns, often made from "80% finished" parts to skirt federal regulation, have become a significant loophole in gun control, enabling firearms to be put together without serial numbers, making them nearly impossible for authorities to trace. JSD Supply is accused of marketing their ghost gun kits misleadingly, as Len Hong Kamdang, a senior director at Everytown Law, suggests they're essentially encouraging consumers to circumvent established gun ownership laws, based on company statements referenced in the lawsuit documents acquired by ABC News.
Boyd, whose friend Kyle Thueme also faces a charge as a defendant, told The Detroit News, "I'm here because I don't want to see anybody suffer like I did." The lawsuit cites negligence from Thueme for mishandling the weapon and JSD for supplying it without due diligence. David Santacroce, one of Boyd's attorneys, emphasized that the case highlights the dangers of arming teenagers with guns, pointing to a company "that cavalierly ignored these dangers."
As Boyd navigates through a lifetime of consequences from a single, careless moment, his lawsuit seeks damages for the severe injuries sustained. With the backdrop of national attention to the rise in ghost gun-related crimes—a reported ten-fold increase in ghost gun recoveries at crime scenes since 2016 noted by the ATF—Michigan and other states are ramping up efforts to legislate against this growing threat. According to The Detroit News, similar lawsuits have seen settlements in cities like Baltimore, further pressuring suppliers to reconsider or cease the selling of these untraceable firearms.
