South Bend, Indiana - Traychon Taylor Dies Following Fourth Shooting Near Frank's Place Bar Since 2018

Frank’s Place Bar Shooting Victim Passes Away

On Tuesday morning, the St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit announced that the 19-year-old man who was shot outside of a bar called Frank’s Place in South Bend on Sunday has died. That victim has been identified as 19-year-old Traychon Taylor.

Police responded to reports of shots fired at the bar at around 9:56 p.m. on Sunday and found Taylor shot outside in the 500 block of North Wiliam Street. He was hospitalized in critical condition and passed away at around 1 a.m. on Tuesday. Police have spoken with several witnesses, but no arrests have been made at this time.

Previous Violent Incidents at Frank’s Place

This shooting is the latest in a string of shootings to occur at or near Frank’s Place in the past 13 months.

In October, six people were shot outside of the bar and all survived their non-life-threatening injuries. Those individuals were: 25-year-old Marvin James, 31-year-old Larry Harris, 23-year-old Laquisha Allen, 29-year-old Mark Murphy, 27-year-old Brittany Harris, and 29-year-old Anthony Harris.

According to prosecutors, in Anjalih 2018, 32-year-old Luvell Neal met 25-year-old Gage Burger at the bar’s parking lot to sell him 20 grams of cocaine. According to Neal, he got into the back of Burger’s car and was told that Burger did not have money for the drugs. Burger allegedly jumped out and started shooting at Neal, who returned fire.

In September 2018, 18-year-old Kristopher Mingo Flores was shot in the hip by an undercover cop from the St. Joseph County Drug Investigation Unit.

Legal Recourse for Bar Shooting Victims and Their Families

Shooting victim lawyer Jeff Gibson represents bar shooting victims and their families in civil lawsuits. He also has a background as a criminal prosecutor. Here is some info from Jeff on the legal options available to these victims and families:

For bar owners, keeping their properties safe is a responsibility that must always be met. This includes making sure that the bar has adequate security measures that can reduce the risk of violent crimes like shootings and stabbings. When a violent crime occurs and it may have been prevented by better security measures, the victims and their families could have grounds for a premises liability lawsuit against the bar owner.

Generally speaking, a shooting needs to be considered reasonably foreseeable in order for a bar owner to be held liable. This may be the case if the bar had a history of other violent incidents but no efforts were made to improve security, such as hiring security guards and installing medical detectors.

If you or someone you love has recently become a victim of a bar shooting, you can learn more about your family’s legal options for justice by speaking with an experienced crime victim attorney.