Family Sues Online Firearm Dealer Husky Armory for Selling Ghost-Gun Kit to Underage Teenager, Resulting in His Death by Handgun Suicide Days Later

Lawsuit Filed by Everytown Law, Thomas Law Offices Alleges Husky Armory Illegally Sold a Ghost-Gun Kit to 18-Year-Old in Mental Health Crisis Without Verifying His Age or Background

Suicide by Firearm is a Leading Cause of Death in the United States; If You or Someone You Know is in Crisis, Please Call or Text 988, or Visit 988lifeline.org/chat for Free 24/7, Confidential Support

LOUISVILLE, KY – Everytown Law and Thomas Law Offices announced the filing of a lawsuit on behalf of Laura Herp, mother of Henry Willis, against Husky Armory and its parent company, Up North Media LLC. The complaint alleges that the companies illegally sold Henry a ghost-gun kit online without verifying his age or conducting a background check – actions that directly enabled his death.

On July 6, 2023, Husky Armory sold Henry Willis a gun-building kit (the “Kit”) from its website. Just six days after receiving the Kit by mail, Henry died by suicide on July 30, using a handgun built from the Kit.

The Kit included “everything you need to build your own Glock style pistol from the comfort of your home.” According to the Complaint, because the Kit was designed to be and was readily convertible to an operable weapon, it was a firearm under federal law.  Indeed, the Kit included a nearly finished Polymer80 Glock-style frame — the same type at the heart of the recent United States Supreme Court ruling in Bondi v. VanDerStok, which affirmed that such Kits are firearms under federal law and must comply with all federal gun sale requirements, including background checks and sales through licensed dealers.

Neither Husky Armory nor its parent company is a federally licensed firearms dealer. As alleged in the complaint, although Polymer80 shuttered in 2024, the Defendants continue to unlawfully sell similar firearm kits from Geisler Defence, a foreign-based ghost-gun kit manufacturer.

“The law is designed to prevent the sale of firearms to those who are not able to safely possess them. We’ve alleged that not only did Husky Armory ignore those laws, costing Henry his life, but they have built an entire business model around illegally circumventing common-sense safeguards for firearms sales,” said Eric Tirschwell, executive director of Everytown Law. “It is well documented that putting time and space between a person in crisis and a firearm can save lives. Henry should be home with his mother, Laura. She deserved more time and opportunity to help him heal.”

“Henry was a gentle, sensitive child at the center of our family’s world. As he grew into his teen years, we watched as serious mental health challenges ripped away his joy. After months of struggle, Henry was back in therapy, and I really felt as though he could turn the page on this painful chapter,” said Laura Herp, Henry’s mother. “I firmly believe my son would be alive today if Husky Armory hadn’t sold him that handgun kit. Far too many families share my pain – I just want to make sure no one experiences a similar tragedy in the future.”

“Ghost gun sellers like Husky Armory have found a way to profit by operating in the shadows,” said Tad Thomas, founder of the Thomas Law Offices and co-counsel for Ms. Herp. “We’re bringing this lawsuit not just to get justice for Henry and his family, but to stop this from happening to another young person in crisis. No company should be able to sidestep the law and put lethal weapons in the hands of vulnerable individuals, especially when those individuals are legally prohibited from owning a gun in the first place.”

The complaint alleges that the Defendants were prohibited from selling a handgun to Henry for at least two independently sufficient reasons: (i) he was under 21; and (ii) he would have failed a background check. At the time of the sale, Henry was suffering from a mental health crisis in the months before his death, including diagnosed schizophrenia and PTSD. During that period, he was arrested, pled guilty, and became subject to a protective order that required him to surrender any firearms. 

The complaint explains that Henry was seeking treatment at the time of his death, and his family was hopeful for his recovery. But, as alleged, his age and recent run-ins with the law should have made him ineligible to access a firearm during that fragile period. In a legal gun purchase, those factors would have come to light and prevented the sale. Additionally, according to the complaint, a trained and responsible gun dealer making an in-person sale would have recognized Henry’s demeanor and appearance – which would have made it apparent that Henry was unfit to buy a weapon. In short, the lawsuit alleges that if the law had been followed, defendants could have prevented this tragedy.

Suicide by firearm is a leading cause of death in the United States. Over the past decade, the firearm suicide rate among young people has increased faster than among any other age group. These trends are especially pronounced in Kentucky, where the teen firearm suicide rate is a striking 82.5% higher than the national average. This crisis is especially acute among young men: nearly 90% of the teenagers lost to suicide are male. Overall, an average of 507 people in Kentucky die by gun suicide every year – a rate of 10.8 suicides per 100,000 people. Kentucky has the 16th-highest rate of gun suicides in the U.S.

The lawsuit was filed in Kentucky state court. The causes of action in the complaint are negligence and negligent entrustment. More information regarding the specifics of this case can be found here.

Everytown Law is the largest and most experienced team of litigators in the U.S. working to advance gun violence prevention in the courts. Everytown Law has been and is involved in several other lawsuits seeking accountability from the gun industry. Evertown Law has been involved in multiple lawsuits involving online sales of ghost guns to teens, resulting in devastating consequences. Other current cases include litigation on behalf of the cities of Chicago and Philadelphia against some of the largest suppliers of crime guns into those cities; against Glock for failing to address the ease of convertibility of its pistols; and on behalf of victims of mass shootings at the Old National Bank in Kentucky and in Buffalo, NY, Uvalde, TX, Highland Park, IL, and Boulder, CO. 

Thomas Law Offices is a nationally recognized law firm headquartered in Louisville, KY, with offices in Chicago, IL; Des Moines, IA; Cincinnati, OH; and Columbia, MO. Founded by Tad Thomas in 2011, the firm is known for representing individuals and families injured due to negligence and for its leadership in complex, nationwide litigation. The firm is committed to justice both in and out of the courtroom. Learn more at www.thomaslawoffices.com or call 855-THOMASLAW.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, you can call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org/chat to chat with a counselor from the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides 24/7, free, and confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress anywhere in the US.

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