Martinsburg, West Virginia - Shooting at The Ladder House Bar & Grill Leaves 3 Dead

Shooting Leaves 3 Dead at Ladder House Bar and Grill

According to MetroNews, around 10 p.m. on Monday officers were dispatched to the Ladder House Bar & Grill located at 2209 Charles Town Road for reports of gunshots being heard.

When officers arrived three people were found dead in the parking lot. One of them being the gunman himself, 45-year-old Christopher Marchitelli, who committed suicide. The other two victims were 29-year-old employee of the restaurant Cierra Hammonds and Adam Carter who was 43.

Police are still investigating the case in its entirety.

Legal Options Available to Victims of Bar Shootings and Their Families

Attorney contributor Paul Bucci represents victims of restaurant and parking lot shootings and their families in civil lawsuits. Here, Mr. Bucci has provided some of his insight on the legal options available to these victims.

"In general, commercial property owners have a legal duty to keep their employees and patrons safe. A bar or parking lot owner can do this by providing adequate security on the premises. Things like improving the lighting in parking lots at night, hiring security guards, and installing video cameras can all be classified as adequate security measures. But when a property owner fails to take the proper precautions and a shooting occurs on site because of his or her negligence, then the victims may be able to file a lawsuit," Bucci explained.

"Nonetheless, inadequate security is not sufficient by itself for a victim to bring a lawsuit against the property owner. The violent crime must be reasonably foreseeable as well. For example, if a restaurant owner knew about rising levels of violence in the area and decided not to upgrade video surveillance or buy more lights for the parking lot and someone was shot on the premises, then the victim or their family may have a lawsuit. Ultimately, the adequate security and reasonably foreseeable crime components must be met for the property owner to be considered liable for the violent crime inflicted on the victim.

If you or someone you love has been involved in a restaurant shooting, please do not hesitate to reach out to an experienced attorney on these matters who can help break down the legal options at hand.

Sources:

https://wvmetronews.com/2019/07/09/berkeley-county-sheriff-3-dead-after-bar-shooting-near-martinsburg/