SEE AMAZON.COM DEALS FOR TODAY
Family members of three Black individuals who were fatally shot at a Dollar General store in Florida by a racist gunman have filed a lawsuit against the store’s landlord, operator, and security contractor for negligence. The lawsuit alleges that lax security measures contributed to the victims’ deaths. The gunman had previously been deterred from entering another store and a historically Black college campus due to the presence of security guards. The families argue that better security measures should have been in place given the area’s history of crime.
You may also like to watch : Who Is Kamala Harris? Biography - Parents - Husband - Sister - Career - Indian - Jamaican Heritage
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Family members of three Black people shooting-fatalities-b65ecad5f81ac8aa35121507dd4f7dcc”>fatally shot at a Dollar General store in north Florida by a racist gunman have sued the store’s landlord, operator and security contractor for negligence, claiming lax security led to their loved ones’ deaths.
The 21-year-old gunman had attempted to enter another store and the campus of a historically Black college, but he was stopped by the presence of security guards at both places. The probes by Ryan Palmeter took place in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Jacksonville last August, ending in the fatal assault at the Dollar General.
The lawsuit was filed Monday on behalf of the families of Angela Carr, Jerrald Gallion and A.J. Laguerre.
“While Palmeter was deterred from harming the public at his two preceding stops, at this Dollar General, there was nothing in place to again deter Palmeter from attacking and killing innocent persons,” the families’ lawsuit said.
You may also like to watch: Is US-NATO Prepared For A Potential Nuclear War With Russia - China And North Korea?
Better security measures should have been in place by the store operator and landlord before the shooting last August since the area around the store had seen a rash of shootings, assaults, burglaries, robberies and drug dealing, the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit was filed in state court in Jacksonville. Palmeter killed himself at the scene of the attack, shooting-florida-store-race-bd2bf9591f40903a923dbd8a46d8fb97″>leaving behind racist writings and a suicide note.
The families of the victims also named Palmeter’s estate and his parents as defendants in the lawsuit.
Investigators have said Palmeter made clear in his writings that he hated Black people. During the attack, he texted his father and told him to break into his room and check his computer. There, the father found the note and the writings. The family notified authorities, but by then the shooting had already begun, detectives said.
Palmeter had been involved in a 2016 domestic violence incident that did not lead to an arrest and was involuntarily committed for a 72-hour mental health examination the following year. Palmeter used two guns in the shooting, a Glock handgun and an AR-15-style rifle, according to authorities.
An email seeking comment from Dollar General’s corporate offices was not immediately returned.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Family members of three Black individuals who were fatally shot at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida, have filed a lawsuit against the store’s landlord, operator, and security contractor. The lawsuit alleges negligence and claims that lax security measures led to the deaths of their loved ones. The 21-year-old gunman had previously attempted to enter another store and a historically Black college campus but was prevented from doing so by security guards. However, at the Dollar General, there were no security measures in place to deter the gunman from attacking innocent people.
The lawsuit argues that better security should have been implemented by the store operator and landlord, particularly considering the high crime rate in the surrounding area. The neighborhood had experienced numerous shootings, assaults, burglaries, robberies, and drug-related activities prior to the incident. The families’ legal action seeks to hold the responsible parties accountable for their alleged negligence.
The gunman, Ryan Palmeter, took his own life at the scene of the attack, leaving behind racist writings and a suicide note. Investigators have revealed that Palmeter expressed a strong hatred towards Black individuals in his writings. Prior to the shooting, he had texted his father, instructing him to check his computer, where the note and writings were found. However, authorities were notified too late to prevent the tragic incident.
The families of the victims have also included Palmeter’s estate and his parents as defendants in the lawsuit. Palmeter had a history of involvement in a domestic violence incident in 2016, which did not result in an arrest, and he had been involuntarily committed for a mental health examination the following year. Authorities have determined that Palmeter used a Glock handgun and an AR-15-style rifle in the shooting.
Dollar General’s corporate offices have not yet provided a comment on the lawsuit. The case is currently being heard in state court in Jacksonville..
Source
Associated Press said After racist Florida shooting that killed 3, families sue Dollar General firms and others over lax security
