ATLANTA — The family of the man killed when someone opened fire inside a Buckhead nightclub last month has filed a new lawsuit against the Elleven45 Lounge.
Nakyris Ridley, 20, was killed in the shooting along with 21-year-old Mari Creighton. Four others were injured. Investigators say Ridley was the intended target of the shooting and the other victims were innocent bystanders.
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The lawsuit, filed in Fulton County Superior Court on Tuesday by the mother of Ridley’s only child, claims Elleven45 Lounge didn’t do enough to prevent Ridley’s death.
The wrongful death lawsuit goes on to demand a jury trial and compensatory damages no less than $5 million.
It claims that despite knowing similar criminal incidents had happened at the club, the owners did not have enough security or working surveillance cameras.
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The shooting happened around 2:30 a.m. on May 12. Since then, Karanji Reese, 21, has turned himself in for the shootings. He is charged with murder, aggravated assault and a gun charge.
Creighton’s parents have filed their own lawsuit against Elleven45 Lounge and its owners.
The lawsuit accuses the club of negligence and says that the club allowed an armed person onto the premises. It went on to say how the club was “poorly maintained” and “unsafe”, and a “haven for dangerous conduct.”
Last week, a Fulton County judge granted a temporary restraining order, requiring the owners to close the club for at least the next 60 days.
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