Johnny Cruz Identified as Victim in Deadly Shopping Center Parking Lot Shooting in Bakersfield, CA. (Stock Photo: MurrayLegal.com)
Could the shooting at a Bakersfield shopping center parking lot have been prevented and are justice and compensation available to the victim’s family and injured victim? Read Our Legal Take below to find out what legal options are available.
Local News
Update: According to KGET.com, “Johnny Cruz, 19, was shot in the parking lot of a shopping center on the 2300 block of White Lane just before 11 p.m…[h]e was transported to Kern Medical where he later died.”
Gunfire rang out at a Bakersfield, California shopping center parking lot late Saturday night, February 5, 2022, leaving one man dead and another man injured.
As reported by KGET.com, “[o]fficers were called to the 2300 block of White Lane for a victim of a shooting and found a man with a severe gunshot wound. The man was taken to a hospital and was listed as critical.”
According to the report, “a large crowd had gathered at the shopping center for a “car rally” when a fight broke out between some attendees.”
BakersfieldNow.com is reporting, “[a] second man was struck by gunfire…he arrived at a local hospital, only suffering from a minor gunshot wound. He was later discharged from the hospital.”
Per the report, “the adult male victim who had previously been transported with a major injury to a hospital has died.”
According to KGET.com, “[t]he shopping center is the same location where Bakersfield police were also called about a shooting at a similar event in August 2021. Two men were also shot and wounded during what was called a street racing gathering.”
The investigation is ongoing.
Legal Take
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Shopping center and parking lot patrons have a right to feel safe and secure while on the premises they are visiting. The level of security provided at the shopping center is of significance, and is a relevant consideration when analyzing whether this shooting may have been prevented. The following questions are also important in assessing whether this incident may have been avoided:
- Have prior incidents of violence been reported on or near the property, and, if so, were any security measures added after any prior incidents?
- Did the shopping center have adequate security in place at the time of the shooting?
- What security measures, such as visible surveillance cameras, and security personnel, were in place to deter crime and protect the victims at the time of the shooting?
Property owners are generally required to protect against foreseeable harm to anyone and everyone legally on the premises. Should the investigation into this incident reveal facts that establish that the property owner or management lacked adequate security to protect its visitors, the family of Johnny Cruz may seek justice and elect to pursue legal claims and substantial compensation for their loss. In addition, any injured victim may seek justice and elect to pursue legal claims and substantial compensation for their injuries.
The Murray Law Firm has extensive and successful experience in handling security negligence claims on behalf of victims and their families, and suggests that an immediate, unbiased inspection of the property will need to be performed so as to limit evidence from being altered, damaged or destroyed. The complexities of pursuing a negligent security case are well understood by the legal team at The Murray Law Firm, and it is imperative that the family of Johnny Cruz and any injured victim retain a capable law firm who will work without delay to protect their interests.
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