Editing D.C. sniper attacks (section)

===Civil and regulatory actions===

According to ''[[The Seattle Times]]'' in a story of April 20, 2003, Muhammad had honed his marksmanship at Bull's Eye's firing range. The newspaper also reported that Malvo told investigators that he shoplifted the 35-inch-long (89&nbsp;cm) carbine from the "supposedly secure store."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Carter|first1=Mike|last2=Miletich|first2=Steve|last3=Mayo|first3=Justin|title=Errant Gun Dealer, Wary Agents Paved Way for Beltway Sniper Tragedy|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20030429/gundealer29/errant-gun-dealer-wary-agents-paved-way-for-beltway-sniper-tragedy|work=[[The Seattle Times]]|date=April 20, 2003|access-date=December 20, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091115113937/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20030429&slug=gundealer29|archive-date=November 15, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref>

According to U.S. [[Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives]] (ATF) officials, the store and its owners had a long history of firearms sales and records violations and a file 283 pages thick. In July 2003, the ATF revoked the federal firearms license of Brian Borgelt, a former staff sergeant with the [[U.S. Army Rangers]] and owner of Bull's Eye Shooter Supply. Later that month he transferred ownership of the store to a friend and continued to own the building and operate the adjacent shooting gallery.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jointogether.org/gv/news/summaries/reader/0,2061,565561,00.html|title=Ownership Transfer of Bull's Eye Shooter Supply Approved|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 30, 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030830042110/http://www.jointogether.org/gv/news/summaries/reader/0%2C2061%2C565561%2C00.html}}</ref>

On January 16, 2003, the Legal Action Project of the [[Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence]], on behalf of the families of many of the victims of the sniper attacks both in and out of the D.C. area who were killed (including Hong Im Ballenger, "Sonny" Buchanan Jr., Linda Franklin, Conrad Johnson, Sarah Ramos, and James L. Premkumar Walekar) as well as two victims who survived the shooting (Rupinder "Benny" Oberoi and 13-year old Iran Brown) filed a civil lawsuit against Bull's Eye Shooter Supply and [[Bushmaster Firearms, Inc.]] of [[Windham, Maine]], the gun distributor and manufacturer that made the rifle used in the crime spree, as well as Borgelt, Muhammad, and Malvo. Muhammad, who had a criminal record of domestic battery, and Malvo, a [[minor (law)|minor]], were each legally prohibited from purchasing firearms.

The suit claimed that Bull's Eye Shooter Supply ran its gun store in Tacoma, Washington, "in such a grossly negligent manner that scores of its guns routinely "disappeared" from its store and it kept such shoddy records that it could not account for the Bushmaster rifle used in the sniper shootings when asked by federal agents for records of sale for the weapon."{{Quote without source|date=June 2022}} It was alleged that the dealer could not account for hundreds of guns received from manufacturers in the years immediately prior to the Beltway sniper attacks. It was also claimed that Bull's Eye continued to sell guns in the same irresponsible manner even after Muhammad and Malvo were caught and found to have acquired the weapon there. Bushmaster was included in the suit because it allegedly continued to sell guns to Bull's Eye as a dealer despite an awareness of its record-keeping violations.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

The case had been set for trial in April 2005; however, the parties settled before then. Bushmaster said it settled because of escalating legal fees and the dwindling amount of insurance money it had left for the case. Bull's Eye contributed $2 million and Bushmaster contributed $500,000 to an [[out-of-court settlement]]. Bushmaster also agreed to educate its dealers on safer business practices.<ref>
{{cite news
  | last = Manning
  | first = Stephen
  | title = Families of sniper victims reach settlement
  | agency = Associated Press
  | date = September 10, 2004
  | url = http://washingtontimes.com/metro/20040909-095944-5026r.htm
  | access-date = April 18, 2007
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060214095425/http://www.washingtontimes.com/metro/20040909-095944-5026r.htm
  | archive-date = February 14, 2006
  | url-status = live
  }}
</ref>

After the settlement was announced, WTOP radio in Washington, D.C., reported that Sonia Wills, mother of victim Conrad Johnson, said her family took part in the lawsuit more to send a message than to collect money. "I think a message was delivered that you should be responsible and accountable for the actions of irresponsible people when you make these guns and put them in their hands," she said.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=333&sid=265409 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041021071541/http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=333&sid=265409 |archive-date=October 21, 2004 |url-status=dead |title=Family of Sniper Victims Hope Gun Makers Learn Lesson |work=wtopnews.com |agency=AP |author=Steve Manning |date=September 8, 2004}}</ref>