LOS ANGELES (CNS) – The guest safety firm whose security guard shot to death a man who stabbed a boy and a woman in a downtown shopping center in 2022 has agreed to pay $500,000 to the plaintiffs to settle that part of the case.
The stabbings occurred Nov. 15, 2022, at the Target store within the FIGat7th shopping center shortly after 6:20 p.m. The victims were later identified as Brayden Medina Molina, then 9 years old, and Joo Hye Song, then 24. Both sued Target Corp., landlord FIGat7th LLC and other entities, including Watermark Security Group Inc.
Both of the plaintiffs’ separately filed negligence/premises liability suits are now consolidated and their attorneys allege the stabber, David Franklin, should not have been able to access a knife from a display area in the Target store.
On Wednesday, Watermark attorneys filed court papers with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Anne Hwang seeking approval of the $500,000 tentative accord between the plaintiffs and Watermark, which would be dismissed as a defendant.
“In this case, the amount of the settlement would provide a significant payment toward plaintiffs’ medical bills,” the court papers state.
The money will fully pay for Brayden’s bills of nearly $270,000 as well as Song’s charges of almost $190,000, the pleadings state.
Meanwhile, Target is asking Hwang to dismiss the part of the case against them on grounds the attacks were unforeseeable. The causes of action pertaining to Target are negligence, premises liability and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
The Target attorneys also state that as events unraveled that evening, they initially appeared to involve a petty theft. The lawyers state that shortly after Franklin entered the store, an employee saw that he was trying to open a package of knives. The worker, familiar with people opening packages as part of a theft, believed he was trying to steal a knife, but did not believe he was a danger to anyone and told him to pay for it, the Target lawyers state in their court papers.
When Franklin ignored the worker, she quickly contacted the asset protection team by radio and a member of the squad, after failing to de- escalate the situation, warned guests to leave because Franklin was armed and shouting profanities, the Target lawyers further state in their pleadings.
The asset protection team member witnessed Franklin stab Song, the second victim, according to the Target lawyers’ court papers, which further state that Enedino Espinoza, the Watermark security guard contracted to work within the store, ultimately shot Franklin and that the series of events leading up to him opening fire took about four minutes.
A hearing on Target’s dismissal motion is scheduled for Sept. 17.
Espinoza has filed a separate lawsuit against Target and FIGat7th, alleging he suffered emotional distress from seeing Franklin die and arguing that the stabbings were foreseeable.
In addition, FIG has filed a cross-complaint for indemnity against Target.
Recent Comments