Topline
Family members of three people killed in a racially-motivated shooting at a Jacksonville, Florida, Dollar General are suing the discount store and the parents of the shooter, alleging their negligence led to the victims’ deaths.
A biohazard cleanup vehicle is parked outside the Dollar General store where three people were shot … [+]
Key Facts
The lawsuit, filed in Duval County, alleges that Dollar General “had a non-delegable duty to take such precautions as were reasonably necessary to protect its employees and invitees” from foreseeable criminal attacks, and failed (one of the victims was a Dollar General employee).
The negligence of Dollar General to have security measures in place led to inadequate deterrence for criminals and “an atmosphere … which facilitated the commission of crimes,” the suit alleges.
The suit names two Dollar General subsidiaries—DolGenCorp and DG Strategic II, LLC—that were “operating/managing” the property, along with the owner of the land the store was on and Interface Security Systems, the security contractor for the store.
Interface Security Systems was expected to monitor surveillance cameras in real time, but failed to do so on the day of the attack and before the attack, the lawsuit alleges.
The suit names shooter Ryan Palmeter’s parents and his estate as defendants as well, alleging his parents were negligent because they knew their son “struggled with mental health issues,” had “an obsession regarding firearms and violence” and was a “ticking time bomb,” but didn’t “take reasonable precautions” to protect the public’s safety.
The suit is seeking damages “in excess of $50,000.”
Forbes has reached out to Dollar General and Interface Security Systems for comment.
Key Background
On a Saturday afternoon in late August, 21-year-old Palmeter drove from a nearby county to a Dollar General in Jacksonville armed with a tactical vest, an AR-style rifle and a handgun and opened fire, killing three Black people before taking his own life. It later came out that Palmeter had made two stops before the Dollar General—one at Edward Waters University, a historically Black college, and one at another discount store—but was deterred from shooting by security at both sites. Palmeter’s attack was deemed racially motivated by the police, and investigators found three manifestos written by the gunman—one to federal agents, one to his parents and one to the media—in which he detailed his “disgusting ideology of hate,” Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said, and one of the guns used had swastikas on it. Palmeter had no criminal history, but was involved in a 2016 domestic call with no arrest and was held under the Baker Act—a Florida law that allows people to be placed in temporary detention with emergency services for up to 72 hours for a mental health examination in 2017.
Crucial Quote
“A criminal’s safe haven, this Dollar General was devoid of meaningful security measures,” the suit reads. “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.”
What To Watch For
Ben Crump and Michael Haggard, the attorneys who filed the suit on behalf of the families, will hold a press conference Tuesday on the filing, according to a press release from Crump’s office.
Further Reading
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2023/12/04/jacksonville-shooting-victims-families-sue-dollar-general-criminals-safe-haven/