According to My Journal-Courier, a shooting occurred outside the Clearview Mall located at 101 Clearview Cir, Butler, PA 16001.
On Tuesday, January 18, 2022, at approximately 6 p.m., multiple gunshots were reported in the mall's parking lot outside of Rural King. Police arrived to find three victims inside the store and their vehicle riddled with bullet holes in the parking lot. Two of the victims were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
An investigation determined that an altercation ensued inside the farm store before they all exited the parking lot. When the victims were inside their vehicle to leave, multiple gunshots aimed at their car, shattering its windows. They returned gunfire before running for cover inside the store. The suspect, 24-year-old Carlos Gonzalez Carril, was located down the road at a gas station. He has been charged with three counts, each of attempted criminal homicide along with aggravated and simple assault.
Attorney contributor Guy D'Andrea, an experienced gun violence crime attorney, provides legal guidance to victims and their families in violent crime civil lawsuits. Brian shared some helpful information for victims shot outside a mall during a recent discussion, including if a mall can be held liable for the shooting.
“Mall owners, just like other commercial property owners, have a legal responsibility to provide a level of security for those on their property. To ensure the safety of their customers and patrons, mall owners should implement a secure safety plan. Sufficiently lit parking lots, patrolling security guards, and security cameras are just a few of the ways mall owners can minimize the risk of preventable crimes, such as shootings. However, if the mall owner does not provide proper security, and someone gets injured from a shooting, the mall owner may be considered negligent by a court.”
“A victim will want to secure the guidance of an experienced attorney to prove the mall owner was negligent. Additionally, the mall owner could be held liable if the attorney could prove the crime was reasonably foreseeable. If previous violent crimes had occurred in the area or on the mall property and the mall owner failed to improve its security, the crime could be deemed foreseeable. In cases of negligence, when the crime is foreseeable, the victim and their family may even be entitled to receive monetary compensation for their damages.”