Modesto, California - 3 people Injured in Bar Shooting at Tilted Turtle

3 Injured, 2 Critically, in Modesto Bar Shooting

Last Updated: 7/13/2020

Three people were wounded in a shooting at a crowded bar in Modesto early Sunday morning.

Police responded to reports of shots fired at the Tilted Turtle on Ninth Street at around 12:30 a.m. Responding officers found a 25-year-old woman and a 27-year-old man inside of the bar with gunshot wounds. They were hospitalized in critical condition. A third victim was also hospitalized and is expected to survive.

According to the police, the shooting happened during a scheduled event at the Trippy Turtle and the bar was extremely crowded.

As of Monday morning, no arrests have yet been made. The Modesto police have encouraged anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 209-521-4636.

Are Bar Owners Liable for Bar Shootings?

Attorney contributor Bobby Thompson represents shooting victims and their families in civil lawsuits. We’ve asked Bobby to share some thoughts on bar owner liability for shootings on their properties:

“Bar owners have a duty of care to ensure they are reasonably safe for their customers, employees, and other visitors. This includes having appropriate security to reduce the risk of violent crime. While not every gun crime can be avoided, there are certain incidents of bar shooting that could possibly have been stopped if not for poor protection or some form of neglect on the part of the bar owner,” Mr. Thompson explained.

He goes on to share, “Typically, a bar owner can be held liable for a shooting if the shooting was reasonably foreseeable and could have been prevented with better security standards. If so, the bar owner could be held liable if the victims of the shooting filed a lawsuit.”