Kentucky Jury Orders Husky Armory to Pay $104 Million in Teen Ghost Gun Death
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 17
Kentucky Jury Orders Husky Armory to Pay $104 Million in Teen Ghost Gun Death
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 17
Summary
$104 million in damages was awarded against Husky Armory after a Kentucky jury found the gun-kit seller liable in the death of 18-year-old Henry Coby Willis.
The verdict included $4.2 million in compensatory damages and $100 million in punitive damages tied to a July 2023 online sale of a pistol-building kit.
Family lawyers said Husky Armory sold the kit without verifying Willis's age or running a background check, then shipped an unserialized ghost-gun kit directly to his home.
Willis assembled the handgun in his family's garage and used it to take his own life within six days of receiving the package, according to the lawsuit.
Federal authorities had described the Omaha-based seller as operating without a firearms license, and the company did not respond to comment or appear at trial, the family's lawyers said.
A ghost gun seller was ordered to pay $104M. But how can victims collect from a company that disappears?
A landmark verdict targeted one ghost gun seller. Can it truly stop the booming online trade of untraceable firearms?
Historic $104 Million Jury Award Targets Ghost Gun Seller in Death of Kentucky Teen
Overview
On July 16, 2026, a historic verdict was delivered against Husky Armory LLC and Up North Media LLC for selling a ghost gun online to an underage teenager in crisis, bypassing crucial safeguards like age verification and background checks. The companies’ failure to respond led to a default judgment, with the jury awarding over $100 million in damages. This case highlights how online-only ghost gun sales can have tragic consequences and underscores the legal system’s growing recognition of the dangers posed by unregulated firearms. The verdict sends a strong warning to the ghost gun industry about accountability for illegal sales and practices.