St. Louis, MO - Two Injured Following a Shooting at Reign Restaurant

Shooting at Downtown Nightclub, Reign Restaurant, Leaves Two Injured

According to KSDK 5 On Your Side, a shooting occurred at Reign Restaurant, a nightclub located at 1122 Washington Ave, St. Louis, MO 63101. 

Police were called to a disturbance around 1:17 a.m. at the downtown nightclub. As many as 100 people were outside of the club when the police arrived. While disbursing the crowd, gunshots were heard near the nightclub. Two victims, including one of the nightclub's security guards, were wounded by the gunshots. 

Allegedly, security had previously escorted a patron out of the nightclub that evening, but she had returned with her boyfriend, who began firing gunshots towards the club. The suspects left the scene, and no reports of arrests have been made at this time. 

During an interview with the club's owner, Dana Kelly suggested the recent increase in crime in the area warranted more police patrolling in the area. 

Legal Options of Victims Shot Outside of Club

Our attorney contributor Reed Martens, is an experienced violent crimes lawyer and has represented numerous victims of shootings in civil lawsuits. In an interview, Reed highlighted some of the legal options for victims wounded in nightclub shootings.

"Nightclub, as well as bar owners, have a legal duty to maintain a safe environment for those on and around their property. In order to ensure safety, the property owners should implement adequate safety measures that should include strong lighting, security cameras, hiring security guards, and more. If a nightclub does not have adequate safety measures in place and a crime takes place, the owner may be considered liable for negligence."

"When a victim is shot outside of a nightclub or bar, they have every right to inquire if the property owner did everything possible to prevent the violent crime from occurring. If not, the owner may be held responsible. In addition, if a crime is found to be reasonably foreseeable, the property owner could be deemed liable in a civil lawsuit. One example of a foreseeable crime could include if the area's crime rates have recently increased, but the property owner's security measures did not. Victims of nightclub shootings and their families are advised to seek the services of an experienced violent crime lawyer to learn all their legal options. In cases of negligence, the victims and their families may have grounds for a civil lawsuit that could result in financial compensation."

Sources:

KSDK 5 On Your Side