TIME

A law protecting gunmakers faces a fight in court

ORLANDO POLICE OFFICER ADAM GRULER WAS IN CHARGE OF security at the Pulse nightclub on June 12, 2016, when he heard gunfire on the dance floor, followed by a chorus of screams in the dark. He sprang into action, authorities say, exchanging gunshots with the shooter and calling for backup. He was instantly dubbed a hero, receiving a valor award and an invitation to the State of the Union address. Praise came from all over.

Then Gruler was sued. Nearly two years after the massacre, a group of survivors claimed in federal court that Gruler didn’t do enough to stop the gunman, Omar Mateen, who killed 49 people and injured 53 others. The victims said Gruler “abandoned his post” at the front door, allowing Mateen to stroll into the crowded nightclub with a handgun and a semiautomatic rifle. The suit also named the city

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