The Legal Chronicle
(News 4)
Mall and shopping center parking facilities present inherent security challenges as they frequently occupy a large space with low levels of activity and numerous hiding places for would-be attackers. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the shopping center owner to protect patrons and deter crime. However, all too often, property owners are more concerned with limiting their own financial exposure than providing a safe and secure space for their patrons.
In August 2018, News 4 warned viewers about several “creepy encounters at Nashville West” shopping center. “Two women shopping in separate stores reported men following them around. In one case a man tried to get into a woman’s car.”
The News 4 investigation reveals the shopping center was the subject of a fatal shooting in September 2012. 30-year-old Josh McLean was shot and killed “in the parking lot of Best Buy” in “Nashville West.” Tragically, his family is still searching for justice and answers.
“I just don’t understand why it wouldn’t make sense for them to have cameras. I wish they had. My son would still be dead, but maybe we would have a solved case,” Linda McLean told News 4. “There were no cameras then and six years later there still are not.”
Victims of Shopping Center Violence: Know Your Rights
Shopping center patrons have a right to feel safe and secure while on the premises of the establishment they are visiting. By law, property owners are required to protect all patrons legally on the premises from any foreseeable harm. For example, should a parking facility owner have knowledge of prior violence on or near property, they have a responsibility to implement additional security precautions to protect patrons and deter such crime. Additional security measures may include monitored surveillance cameras, bright parking lot lighting, and visible security patrols. Should a parking facility owner fail in this critical responsibility, they may be held civilly liable for any injuries or wrongful deaths which occur as a consequence.
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