Supreme Court’s Non-Action Opens Door for More Gun Litigation

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision not to hear an appeal of a lawsuit filed by Sandy Hook school massacre victims’ relatives will probably inspire more families of shooting victims to sue gun makers—but just how far those suits go depends largely on where they’re filed.

The action—or inaction—by the high court allows plaintiffs in the Connecticut suit to go forward against Remington Arms Co. LLC, the manufacturer of the gun used by Adam Lanza to shoot and kill 26 people, including 20 children, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in December 2012.

The suit will proceed despite a 2005 ...