Three separate lawsuits were filed this week against an Atlanta security company who employed an alleged gunman who went on a shooting spree last summer. The lawsuits all claim that the security company was negligent, and that it did not secure a building in Midtown, but rather put three women who worked in the building at risk.
The lawsuit stems from a fatal shooting that took place at the building in July. According to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution report, police have said that a security guard employed by this company approached a woman who worked in the building in the parking lot and shot her in the neck. She did not survive. He then drove off in her car, firing more shots. One woman was left paralyzed and another was shot in the leg.
The shooter himself has been charged with murder and several counts of aggravated assault. He remains in jail while he awaits trial.
The lawsuits have been filed by the husband of the woman who was killed; the woman who was paralyzed; and the third woman who suffered a gunshot wound to her leg. The suits ask for compensation for medical expenses and/or funeral expenses, in addition to punitive damages.
In addition to the security company itself, the suit also names the co-owners of the building and the shooter as defendants.
When someone is injured, assaulted or killed on another person’s property, the owner or manager of that property may be held responsible byway of a premises liability lawsuit. This is true in cases where the company or manager failed to maintain the property or was negligent in not keeping the premises safe.
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Victims in Midtown shooting sue security company,” Marcus K. Garner, April 6, 2012