Gun manufacturers and retailers filed a lawsuit challenging a New York law that allows the victims of gun violence to sue the firearms companies.

Their attempt failed.

On Wednesday, US District Judge Mae D’Agostinoa, a federal court judge appointed by President Barack Obama, dismissed the lawsuit, notably one day after the school shooting in Texas that killed 19 children and two teachers.

The challenge by the gunmakers was on the same day that New York Governor Kathy Hochul proposed stricter laws in order to reduce the number of firearms in the state.

The firearms companies claim that the 2021 law is unconstitutional. 

A spokesman for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, who represented the gun companies in the lawsuit, said the decision will be appealed.

In response to the dismissal of the lawsuit, New York Attorney General Letitia James, who defended the law in court, said she is proud to “defend the right to impose reasonable gun restrictions” in her state. She mentioned the recent
Buffalo mass shooting that killed 10 people, and the Texas shooting.

“As public officials, we were elected to solve problems and address the needs of the people,” James said.

Governor Hochul, who replaced Governor Andrew Cuomo in New York, is running for governor in New York’s Democratic primary in June. She is proposing raising the minimum age required to buy an AR-15s, a semi-automatic rifle controversial in part due to its use in high-profile mass shootings.

She said it was “common sense” that someone who can’t buy a legal drink shouldn’t be able to buy an assault weapon. 

“How does an 18-year-old purchase an AR-15 in the state of New York, state of Texas?” Hochul asked at a press conference on Wednesday.

“That person’s not old enough to buy a legal drink. I want to work with the legislature to change that. I want it to be 21. I think that’s just common sense.”

Notably, the shooters in Buffalo and in Texas were both 18-years-old.