Police have arrested a suspect in the shooting death of 41-year-old Deandre Patrick Thomas in the parking lot of OBok Restaurant & Club in Killeen. The suspect has been identified as 45-year-old Reginald Ferlandus Jackson. His bond has been set at $500,000.
Killeen police responded to reports of a shooting in the parking lot of the restaurant and club at around 2 a.m. on August 18. Officers arrived at the scene and found a man lying on the ground with a gunshot wound. the victim was rushed to the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center in critical condition. He died from his injuries and was pronounced dead at 2:46 a.m.
Police say the victim and suspect were in an argument in the parking lot when the suspect pulled out a gun and shot the victim.
Here is Anjali Nigam with some discussion on property owner liability in shootings and stabbings:
While some acts of violence are completely random and unpredictable, other violent incidents could have been prevented if the property owner had taken preventative measures.
In situations where a shooting happens at a bar, restaurant, or other business in an area with high rates of violent crime, it's important to ask if the property owner did all that they could to minimize the risk of violence for their customers. For example, if a bar has a history of violence, ownership could hire security guards and have them search guests for weapons before entering the bar.
If negligent security enabled a violent crime to occur, the victim and their family could have grounds for a lawsuit against the property owner. Additionally, dram shop laws in Texas and many other states allow victims of bar violence to file lawsuits if the perpetrator(s) became violent because they were served too much alcohol.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a violent incident at a bar, restaurant, or other business, we advise speaking with an experienced crime victim lawyer about your legal options.