Widow Sues Distributor of Cheap Handgun

The widow of a popular middle school teacher fatally shot by a student is suing the gun distributor, alleging that the gun is unreasonably dangerous and lacks safety devices that would prevent a minor from using it.

The design of the .25-caliber Raven handgun will go on trial this week in West Palm Beach, Fla.

The shooter, 16-year-old Nathaniel Brazill, will take a break from his 28-year prison sentence to testify.

Brazill was 13 when he killed teacher Barry Grunow in a school hallway and was convicted last year of second-degree murder.

The gun’s distributor, Valor Corp., maintains that the gun did what it was designed to do when it fired a bullet.

Pam Grunow’s attorney compared their case to the lawsuit against large tobacco companies, where the public initially believed a similar premise: People who bought cigarettes knew they were dangerous.

Grunow’s attorneys are hoping for a verdict large enough to force companies to stop selling the Raven handgun, known on the street as a “junk” gun, or Saturday night special, because of its small size and low cost. The Raven can be bought for as little as $75, less than half the cost of similar firearms.

The case has drawn national attention because it is the first to address both the absence of a gun lock and the flaws associated with a cheap, concealable weapon that looks like a toy.