A mother from Louisville, Kentucky, has filed a lawsuit against two Nebraska-based companies, alleging they illegally enabled her teenage son to acquire the firearm he used to take his own life.
Eighteen-year-old Henry Willis, a recent graduate of Seneca High School, died by suicide in July 2023 after reportedly purchasing a gun kit online from Omaha company Husky Armory. The lawsuit, filed Monday in Jefferson Circuit Court, claims Husky Armory and its parent company, Up North Media, sold Willis a do-it-yourself kit that allowed him to assemble a Glock-style handgun without undergoing a background check or age verification.
“Henry was a gifted young man with a bright future,” the lawsuit states. “Despite struggles with his mental health and recent legal troubles, he was making progress—graduating high school, managing his finances, and receiving psychological treatment. His family remained hopeful.”
But on July 6, 2023, Henry purchased the gun kit online. Just six days after it was delivered to his home, he used the assembled firearm to end his life.
His mother, Laura Herp, believes the tragedy was preventable. “I firmly believe my son would be alive today if Husky Armory hadn’t sold him that handgun kit,” she said in a statement. “I want to ensure no other family suffers like mine has.”
The lawsuit accuses the companies of negligence, wrongful death, and negligent entrustment. It seeks both compensatory and punitive damages.
Attorneys from Louisville-based Thomas Law Offices and Everytown Law are representing Herp. Everytown Law has previously worked on cases involving unregulated firearms access by minors and victims of mass shootings, including the Old National Bank shooting in Louisville.
The lawsuit alleges that Husky and Up North Media are not federally licensed firearm dealers and instead sell “ghost gun” kits — nearly complete, unserialized gun parts sold without any background checks. These kits, according to the complaint, qualify as firearms under the federal Gun Control Act and therefore should not be sold without regulation.
Willis, who was under 21, had a protective order filed against him, and had recently pled guilty to domestic assault — all factors that would have legally barred him from purchasing a firearm through traditional means. The suit details how easy the kit was to assemble, with instructions accessible on Husky’s affiliate website.
The case also references a recent Supreme Court ruling that affirmed such kits must be regulated under federal gun laws.
If you or someone you know is struggling, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 by calling or texting 988 or visiting 988lifeline.org.
Comments