A family caught up in the 2022 Greenwood Park Mall shooting filed a lawsuit against Simon Malls and Allied Universal Event Services, arguing that they didn’t do enough to prevent the tragedy. Attorney Gregory Laker highlighted concerns about insufficient security.

The lawsuit recounts the frightening incident when Jonathan Sapirman, armed with a semi-automatic rifle, opened fire in the mall’s food court. Kaya Stewart and four others were shot, resulting in the deaths of Pedro Pineda, Rosa Mirian Rivera de Pineda, and Victor Gomez. Elisjsha Dicken later shot and killed Sapirman.

The legal action aims to hold accountable those responsible for the lack of protection on the premises.

“A guard’s presence in the parking lot, mall corridors, food court, and/or restroom, if noticed by the shooter, may have deterred the Assailant from carrying out the shooting,” the lawsuit reads.

In contrast to earlier statements by Greenwood police, the lawsuit says Sapirman deliberately targeted Hispanic and Black individuals during the shooting. It alleges he intentionally fired over the heads of white patrons and aimed at groups of people of color.

The Stewart family, initiating the legal action, is Black. This contradicts Greenwood Police Chief James Ison’s statement in December 2022, where he claimed there was no evidence the victims were targeted based on their race.