Smith & Wesson

• Newman Ferrara LLP today announced that a coalition of four congregations of Catholic Sisters represented by the firm filed a stockholder derivative lawsuit naming officers and directors of Smith & Wesson Brands Inc. (“Smith & Wesson” or the “Company”) for wrongdoing related to the marketing and sale of AR-15-style assault weapons.
• AR-15-style rifles, like those manufactured by Smith & Wesson, have been the weapon of choice for killers responsible for the deadliest mass shootings in American history.
• They are not the sporting rifles that members of our own families and other responsible gun owners value.
• While the board recommended voting against the proposal at the September 2023 shareholder meeting, 26.7% of shareholders supported it.

• Less than a month earlier, on April 13, Yarl had gone to pick up his twin younger brothers from a play date in the Northland section of Kansas City, Kansas.
• Instead of going to NE 115 Terrace, Yarl went a block away to NE 115 Street Place, where he rang the doorbell.
• Within a few seconds after seeing Yarl at his door, the homeowner, Andrew Lester, an 84-year-old white man, fired his .32-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver and struck Yarl twice, once in his forehead and once in his arm.
• Weeks after Yarl’s shooting, another incident involving neighbors occurred in Ocala, Florida, on June 3.

A long way from a colorblind society

• In my book, Bodies out of Place: Theorizing Anti-
  blackness in U.S. Society, I describe how racist attitudes persist in society.
• One way this happens is through fixed social ideas about where Blacks belong, when, with whom and in what position.
• It hints at a reality that is both unpleasant and often ignored: Most Black people in American society are forced to navigate increasingly segregated spaces.
• For Black women, sociologist Patricia Hill Collins calls this consciousness an awareness of our status as “the outsider within.”

“Scared to death”

• Through his attorney, Lester further said he was scared to death and thought Yarl was a burglar.
• Because most would-be burglars do not ring doorbells, it’s fair to question on what he based his fear.
• What is clear is that he is resolved – at least publicly – to not let it steal his joy.

Racism operates on a continuum

• In its guidebook Race and Racism in the United States, the American Sociological Association describes how racism operates on the structural and individual level.
• There are often expectations about who belongs in certain spaces.
• As the
  work of sociologist Nirmal Puwar demonstrates, physical spaces are gendered, raced and classed.
• Some have called Yarl’s shooting the “wrong door” case.

• Trex Company, Inc. (NYSE:TREX) is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Michael F. Golden, the Company’s Lead Independent Director.
• Named to the Trex Board in 2013, Mr. Golden served the Company for more than a decade as a strong contributor and supporter of the Trex Company’s growth through product launches, the expansion of the Company’s sales force, retail support and expanded market reach.
• Prior to joining the Trex Board, Mr. Golden was President and Chief Executive Officer of Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation from 2004 until 2011, where he then served as Vice Chairman of the Board until his passing.
• “We have been fortunate in having Mike Golden as a board member both for his insight and for the energy and commitment he brought to the Trex Company.

• CHICAGO, Dec. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The small arms market size is projected to grow from USD 8.9 billion in 2022 to USD 11.1 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 4.5% from 2022 to 2027according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets.
• Based on caliber, the 9mm segment is projected to lead the small arms market from 2022 to 2027.
• North American countries are awarding a number of contracts to major players of the small arms market for the delivery of small arms, thus driving the growth of the small arms market in the region.
• The small arms market is dominated by a few well established global players such as Colt's Manufacturing LLC (US), GLOCK Ges.m.b.H.