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Florida Jury: Give Gun Widow $24 Million; Killer Not at Fault NewsMax.com WiresWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – A six-woman jury Thursday awarded $24 million to a woman who sued a firm that sold the gun used by a 13-year-old pupil to kill her husband, a teacher – and claimed the murderer was not at all responsible. The award was believed to be the first of its kind against a gun distributor. The suit by Pam Grunow asked for $76 million. The jury agreed on $24 million and assigned 5 percent of the blame on gun distributor. The jury claimed that 45 percent of the fault for Grunow's death was with the Palm Beach County school board for "allowing" Nathaniel Brazill onto campus that day and 50 percent with the family friend who kept the gun unlocked in a dresser drawer, where Brazill found it. Because they were not named in the suit, they are not liable. She is likely to collect only $1.2 million. The suit contended that the .25-caliber Raven Arms handgun made by a defunct California firm, distributed by the Valor Corp. of Sunrise, Fla., and used to kill Barry Grunow was an unreasonably dangerous product that should have had an internal gun lock. 'Delighted' "We are delighted that Valor has been found negligent in this case. We hope this will be a clarion call against other distributors to get those Saturday night specials off the shelves," said Bob Montgomery, one of Mrs. Grunow's attorneys. Defense attorney John Renzulli did not appear upset with the verdict. "I think the jury was telegraphing to us and to society that this gun has legal uses, legitimate uses. It was not a piece of junk like the plaintiffs said, and it was a good self-defense weapon," Renzulli said. Renzulli, representing Valor Corp., noted in closing arguments that pupil Nathaniel Brazill fired the shot. He also said part of the blame belonged to Elmore McCray, owner of the weapon. Brazill stole the gun and bullets from a cookie tin stashed away in a dresser drawer of McCray, a family friend. Brazill was convicted last year of second-degree murder in the slaying May 26, 2000. He was ordered to testify in the civil trial but refused on the grounds he might incriminate himself. His case is under appeal. Grunow and his wife had two children: Sam, 7, and LeeAnn, 2. Mrs. Grunow had asked for $25 million each for herself and her children, plus an additional $1 million for other economic losses. Copyright 2002 by United Press International. All rights reserved.
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