LOUISVILLE — A Louisville, Kentucky, jury ordered Omaha-based Husky Armory LLC to pay more than $100 million in damages connected to the death of an 18-year-old Kentucky teenager. The jury awarded $4.2 million in economic damages and $100 million in punitive damages in the case.

The trial focused on whether Husky Armory LLC skirted federal regulations barring the sale of gun-assembly kits to those under 21. Henry Willis was 18 years old when he purchased a Glock G19 pistol build kit from Husky Armory's website in 2023. Attorneys for Willis said Husky Armory flouted requirements for serial numbers, background checks, and age verification. According to the lawsuit, the Husky Armory website advertised the product as having everything you need to build your own Glock style pistol from the comfort of your home. The website also noted the weapon could be assembled by “nearly anyone with a brain,” the lawsuit stated.

Willis assembled the handgun in his garage and told his father it was a transistor radio. He used the assembled handgun to end his life six days after purchasing the kit. His mother, Laura Herp, described him as a “kind, gentle child” who had struggled with mental health issues in the months leading up to his death.

Herp said a child in crisis should never be able to access a deadly weapon. She added that companies like Husky Armory thrive off selling to folks who shouldn’t have access to firearms, and they didn’t care who Henry was.

Husky Armory LLC and its owner, Cody Yurk, did not participate in the legal proceedings. A state court in Louisville had previously issued a default judgment against Husky Armory LLC for failing to respond to the lawsuit. Husky Armory LLC was not present for the trial.

Herp said they didn’t even bother showing up to the trial. Husky Armory LLC and Cody Yurk did not immediately return inquiries.

Everytown Law stated the $104.2 million payout is the largest ever reached against a gun seller. The verdict surpassed the $73 million settlement awarded to the families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting by Remington. Dana Mulhauser, an attorney for Everytown Law, said the outcome carried broader implications.

Mulhauser said this historic verdict sends a powerful message to ghost-gun sellers who set up businesses to profit by circumventing critical safeguards like background checks and age verification. She also said Henry should be home with his family today, and Laura deserved more time and opportunity to help her son heal.

The legal dispute arose as federal regulators sought to tighten oversight of homemade firearms. The Supreme Court upheld regulations enacted by the Biden administration that mandated serial numbers on homemade weapons and required buyers to complete background checks and age verification.

The verdict represents a record financial judgment against a gun seller, exceeding the previous benchmark set by the $73 million Remington settlement in the Sandy Hook case. The case tested federal regulations that prohibit the sale of gun-assembly kits to individuals under 21, a restriction that the Supreme Court recently upheld. Husky Armory LLC's absence from the trial and its earlier default judgment reflected the limits of enforcement when defendants do not engage in the legal process. The outcome provides a factual record of how a firearm-assembly kit reached a teenager who then used it to end his life, raising questions about compliance with age verification, background check, and serial number requirements at the point of sale.