Although 2020 may long be remembered for its historical pandemic, social unrest, and the unprecedented election, the nation is quietly enduring an increase in neighborhood gun violence. For example, in just one weekend in August, 30 people were shot and three people were killed in Chicago. In a 48-hour time period in that same month, more than 40 people were shot. In early August, New York reported 70 people injured and 55 shooting victims, 14 of which were homicides. In the same week in 2019, 26 people were injured in New York shooting incidents. Negligent security lawyers at Beasley Allen note the increase may lead to claims against property owners responsible for securing their premises.
New York and Chicago are not alone in the statistical uptick in gun violence incidents. From May to June 2020, homicides in 20 major U.S. cities increased by 37%, led by Chicago, Philadelphia and Milwaukee. As this article was going to print, Georgia was also dealing with major gun violence issues. Atlanta has seen numerous shooting events at night clubs in October and November, and what seems to be nightly shootouts in different areas of the city, including at multiple apartment complexes. Buckhead is not immune, as the famous Lenox Shopping Mall has had multiple shootings in its parking lots and multiple shooting events inside the mall. In Savannah, gunshots rang out for three nights in a row. Between Jan. 1 and Oct. 31, there had been a total of 109 shooting incidents, although 27 of them were accidental. Special investigations units in Savannah have made 350 felony arrests and confiscated nearly 200 guns this year.
Negligent security lawyers in Beasley Allen’s Atlanta office are paying close attention to the increased numbers in metro Atlanta and throughout the state.
Certainly, law enforcement plays a major role in apprehending offenders and removing guns from the streets. Consistently, however, we see many of the same properties in the news with more of the same shooting events. With just basic security measures in place on these properties, studies prove that gun violence and gang activity would decrease substantially. When property owners fail to take reasonable measures to secure their premises, such as in apartment complexes and shopping centers, the local economy, our citizens, communities, and law enforcement are put in harm’s way. Most of the time, the troubled properties are not owned by individuals, but large corporations that are based out of state and have no real connection to the community. Their existence is based on owning as many properties as possible and treating them as income streams instead of communities that serve families and other local businesses.
We at Beasley Allen are committed to restoring this critical balance of responsibility to our neighborhoods so citizens and law enforcement can work and live in a safer place. Parker Miller and Donovan Potter of our Atlanta Office are the lead Beasley Allen negligent security lawyers handling these cases. If you or a loved one was seriously injured as a result of a criminal act, or if you have any questions about these cases, contact Parker or Donovan at 800-898-2034 or fill out the contact form on our website.
This story appears in the January 2021 issue of The Jere Beasley Report. For more like this, visit the Report online and subscribe.
