Gun maker must face Highland Park parade suits in state court

Lawsuits accusing Smith & Wesson of liability in a mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park that left seven people dead and dozens wounded belong in the Illinois courts, a federal judge ruled.

In a written opinion, U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger of the Northern District of Illinois granted motions by the plaintiffs in 12 suits filed against the firearm manufacturer and other defendants to send their cases back to Lake County Circuit Court.

Seeger held the federal courts have no subject matter jurisdiction over the suits because they contain only claims brought under Illinois law.

Read more of Patricia Manson's reporting in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin.