In a tragic incident of gun violence, eight people were shot — one fatally — when a gunman opened fire at a birthday party held at a San Diego apartment complex pool Sunday afternoon, according to police.
The shooter, identified by San Diego Police as 49-year-old Peter Selis, was allegedly lounging inside the La Jolla Crossroads apartment complex pool before the tenant celebrating his birthday approached Selis and invited him to join, according to NBC San Diego.
Police kill the suspected gunman in a fatal San Diego pool party shooting https://t.co/igzb3OH9Gv
— TIME (@TIME) May 1, 2017
Selis then revealed his gun and shot the tenant in the stomach before opening fire on the other pool goers. Selis fired until he ran out of bullets and managed to reload several times before police arrived, according to San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman. Selis then pointed his weapon at the officers, who shot and killed him.
One witness told NBC San Diego the suspect was calm and had a smirk on his face during the shooting. Another said he could see the shooter from the pool clubhouse where he fled, “sitting there with a beer in one hand and the gun in the other.”
“How is this guy just sitting down there relaxed when all of this chaos is going on,” eyewitness Rikky Galiendes told NBC San Diego.
Apartment complexes house many residents and see lots of visitors, opening people who live there up to more risk. Many businesses, whether apartment complexes or music venues, must protect their residents, patrons, and visitors from harm, according to the law.
An Obligation to Protect Residents
Safety is one of the most critical things people look for when deciding where to live, and an apartment complex housing hundreds of residents is understandably held to a high standard.
Negligent security cases give individuals injured on a property understood as “safe” an opportunity to recover damages for injuries they may have sustained.
Negligent security lawsuits revolve around proving an incident was foreseeable and possibly preventable if a housing complex or place of business better secured their premises. The threat of mass shootings is higher than ever, according to a report published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, meaning apartment complexes and places of business could be on the hook if they are not properly secured.
Circumstances surrounding negligent security cases can vary greatly, and an attorney may be able to help you determine if you can take legal action. In a previous case, one of our attorneys netted a $4 million verdict for a man shot outside a Boomers! entertainment center after he attempted to leave the scene of an argument late at night. Our attorney argued Boomers! knew or should have known their parking lot presented danger to their patrons, and a jury agreed. Ensuring your protection in today’s world is critical to conducting your life comfortably, and no expense should be spared.
In the meantime, San Diego Police continue to investigate the shooting for a motive. Several victims remain hospitalized in critical condition.
(Editor’s Note: This is a news story from the ‘Morgan Monitor,’ a news wire offering legal perspectives on news in your community.)
Feature Photo: a screenshot of a Fox News investigative report.
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