Some people in Georgia may have heard that there was a shooting at a California bar on Nov. 7 that left 13 people dead. One was the gunman, who shot himself, and one was a sheriff’s deputy who entered the bar to try to stop the shooting.
Police responded to the incident at around 11:20 p.m. Before that, there were reportedly around 200 people in the bar. The man allegedly walked in and threw smoke bombs as well as shooting a firearm although a bomb squad sent in later did not locate any devices. People broke windows to escape or to help others get away and hid in the attic and the bathroom.
In an initial sweep of the premises, only a handgun was found. In addition to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, other law enforcement agencies that were on the scene included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI.
Legally, there is a general presumption that the owners or managers of property are obligated to keep it safe for visitors. This applies not only to physical safety in terms of the structure but may also apply to security. People who are injured or families whose loved ones are killed in an incident like this one may want to consult an attorney about filing a premises liability lawsuit. The lawsuit might focus on a lack of security in terms of not having a guard on the premises or could focus on other elements such as not having a safe evacuation plan in place. A court would consider whether the responsible party took reasonable precautions to keep the premises safe. There might also be an out-of-court settlement.
Source: CBS News, “13 dead including sheriff’s sergeant and suspect in shooting in Southern California bar — live updates,” 11/8/2018