Gun Parts Maker Settles Lawsuit Over 2022 Buffalo Shooting

Mean Arms to pay $1.75 million over instructions to remove rifle lock

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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Nearly four years after a racially motivated mass shooting at a Buffalo, New York supermarket left 10 Black people dead, the victims' families have reached a $1.75 million settlement with the firearms accessory company Mean Arms. The lawsuit accused the Georgia-based manufacturer of providing online instructions on how to remove a locking device it sold that prevented AR-15-style rifles from accepting high-capacity magazines, allowing the shooter to convert the gun into an illegal assault weapon used in the attack.

Why it matters

The settlement holds Mean Arms accountable for its role in the deadly 2022 Buffalo shooting, where the gunman used an illegally modified AR-15 rifle to carry out the racist attack. It also forces the company to stop selling the rifle lock in New York, a victory for gun safety advocates working to keep dangerous weapons out of the wrong hands.

The details

According to the lawsuit, the shooter, Payton Gendron, followed Mean Arms' instructions to remove the MA Lock device from his Bushmaster XM-15 rifle, allowing him to attach a 30-round magazine and convert the gun into an illegal assault weapon. With the high-capacity magazine, Gendron was able to kill 10 people and injure 3 others without having to stop and reload.

  • The shooting occurred on May 14, 2022.
  • Gendron pleaded guilty to state charges in November 2022 and is scheduled for a federal trial this summer.
  • The $1.75 million settlement was announced on February 13, 2026.

The players

Mean Arms

A Georgia-based manufacturer of firearms accessories, including the MA Lock device that was at the center of the lawsuit.

Letitia James

The New York Attorney General who filed the lawsuit against Mean Arms along with Everytown for Gun Safety and the Giffords Law Center.

Payton Gendron

The 18-year-old self-professed white supremacist who carried out the 2022 mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket, killing 10 Black people.

Garnell Whitfield

The former Buffalo fire chief whose 86-year-old mother, Ruth Whitfield, was killed in the massacre.

Kathy Hochul

The Governor of New York who vowed to never forget the victims and to continue fighting for justice.

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What they’re saying

“Today, justice looks like accountability, and we have ensured that this device will never be sold in our state again.”

— Letitia James, New York Attorney General

“This has not been an easy fight and no amount of money will ever make up for the loss of our loved ones, but through this courageous action and in this instance, justice has prevailed and this settlement will provide additional fuel for the fight ahead.”

— Garnell Whitfield, Former Buffalo Fire Chief

“We will never forget and stop fighting for our 10 neighbors who were senselessly taken away from us in a tragic, racist act of terror.”

— Kathy Hochul, Governor of New York

What’s next

Payton Gendron is scheduled to face a federal trial this summer, where he could receive the death penalty if convicted.

The takeaway

This settlement represents an important step in holding companies accountable for their role in enabling mass shootings and underscores the ongoing fight to keep dangerous weapons out of the wrong hands and prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future.