Ghost gun company ordered to pay $100M in the death of a Kentucky teen in historic verdict

Tad Thomas, a lawyer for the family of Henry Willis,... — Tad Thomas, a lawyer for the family of Henry Willis, right, speaks at a news conference while Willis' mother, Laura Herp, looks on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. Credit: AP/Dylan Lovan

By The Associated PressUpdated July 16, 2026 7:41 pm

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A ghost gun company has been ordered to pay more than $100 million in the death of a Kentucky teenager who had purchased the company's pistol-building kit online.

The verdict — believed to be the largest ever against a gun dealer — was awarded by a jury Wednesday following a trial focused on whether the vendor, Husky Armory LLC, skirted federal regulations barring the sale of the gun-assembly kits to those under 21.

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