Shooting victims’ family suing Bell Tower Shops

Six shootings have happened in Lee County in just over a week and some of you might be asking, what is going on with all the violence?

WINK News reached out to the Fort Myers Police Department and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office again Wednesday and they have not responded.

But the family members of the two victims in the Bell Tower Shops shooting are taking their case to court to get answers.

MORE: Search continues for shooter after two killed at Bell Tower Shops

The lawsuit aims to address whether there was proper security in place the night of the incident.

Attorney Joseph North represents the families of the two victims killed in the October 9 shooting in front of the Bell Tower Shops.

“Disbelief. How could this happen?” North said. “How could happen at the Bell Tower mall? And the answer to that is there was not proper security.”

Kevin Robinson and his stepson Javarcia Riggins were gunned down leaving a birthday dinner at TGI Fridays.

“If there have been prior crimes committed on the property then it is foreseeable that it can happen again,” North said. “So you have to do something to prevent or at least try to prevent these things from happening.”

WINK News reached out to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office to see just how many prior crimes took place at the Bell Tower.

While we wait on a response from them, we used crime-tracking software on the agency’s website to see for ourselves.

“It’s my understanding that there were no security guards in place at the time of these shootings,” North said. “In fact, even when the EMS showed up still no security showed up to help these families. ”

People like Sarah Crouch from Fort Myers say there could be more security measures like video surveillance from a neighboring business.

Video from Society shows employees ducking at the sound of gunshots, but she says only the shooter can be blamed.

“There’s all kinds of risk that are involved with just living your life every day, I don’t necessarily think that’s Bell Tower’s fault that someone did something that was unfortunate,” Crouch said.

We reached out to the Bell Tower Shops for a statement and they responded:

“It is the policy of Bell Towers Shops to not comment on pending or active litigation, but we can share that Bell Tower Shops is committed to ensuring safety for our tenants, employees, guests and property. Our security vendor collaborates with local law enforcement to establish proper staffing levels, training, planning and communication. We cannot release specific details about our confidential security measures and procedures implemented on a daily basis, but the safety of our employees and guests has, and always will be, a high priority.”

TGI Fridays responded as well:

“Regarding the October 9 shooting incident at the Bell Tower Shops, we are saddened by the events that unfolded in proximity to our restaurant and share our deepest condolences with the victims’ families. Our priority remains to follow every possible precaution to provide a safe environment for our Guests and employees. At this time, we do not have additional comment regarding the incident or the lawsuit, as it is our policy not to comment on pending investigations or litigation.”