Family of 21-year-old college volleyball player killed in shooting sues club Elleven45 – WSB-TV Channel 2

ATLANTA – The Elleven45 Lounge in Buckhead is facing further legal action following a fatal shooting last month.

The parents of 21-year-old Mariam “Mari” Creighton are demanding compensation for her death in the nightclub on May 12.

(DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for breaking news alerts)

On Tuesday, Juan Umberto Creighton and Tracey Eason filed suit in Fulton County court in connection with the death of their daughter. In the suit, they claim involuntary manslaughter and seek damages.

The complaint states, in part: “The defendants’ acts or omissions, whether individually or simultaneously, caused a series of events that resulted in the catastrophic injuries and untimely death of Mariam Creighton.”

According to Atlanta police, Creighton, a student-athlete at Albany State University, was killed at Elleven45 when a gunman opened fire during a brawl inside the club.

It happened around 2:30 a.m.

According to sources, a suspect was arrested in connection with the shooting on Thursday night.

Creighton and 20-year-old Nakyris Ridley were killed in the shooting, and four others were injured. Police said Ridley was the intended target and the other victims were innocent bystanders.

APD sources confirmed Michael Seiden from Channel 2 that an arrest has been made.

SIMILAR POSTS:

The lawsuit alleges negligence on the part of the club, detailing that Creighton was an innocent bystander at the club that night. He says the club allowed an armed individual onto the club premises.

“The defendants permitted one or more armed individuals to enter the crowded premises and remain for an extended period of time where alcohol was being served,” the lawsuit states.

It went on to say that the club was “poorly maintained” and “unsafe” and a “haven for dangerous behavior.”

The lawsuit alleges that Creighton would still be alive if the club had taken appropriate action.

“The defendants knew, or should have known, that failure to take reasonable and appropriate measures to mitigate the risk of violent criminal activity and/or deter criminals from entering and remaining on the premises would only increase the unreasonably high risk of violence to visitors to the premises and thereby further expose the plaintiff to serious injury and/or death,” the lawsuit states. “Had the defendants taken reasonable measures, Mari Creighton would still be alive today.”

Last month, Michael Seiden from Channel 2 was in Henry County, where he spoke with Creighton’s family.

Family members say Creighton was celebrating her niece’s birthday the night of the shooting. Her niece, 22-year-old Taylor Holmes, was wounded by a gunshot wound to the leg.

Creighton and Holmes’ attorney released a statement on May 17 that read in part: “Both Mariam and Taylor were patrons of the Elleven45 Lounge when, according to police, an argument escalated and gunfire erupted inside the club in the early morning hours of Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 12. Mariam and Taylor were innocent bystanders and the victims of an unfathomable tragedy.”

The city of Atlanta is also taking legal action against the nightclub. In a lawsuit, the city of Atlanta demanded an injunction to close the popular nightclub on Peachtree Road.

According to the lawsuit filed on May 24, city attorneys asked the courts to classify the store as a public nuisance because it “failed to take adequate safety and security measures to protect its customers and those in the area from harm.”

The complaint also cited numerous incidents since 2020 in which “APD has responded to at least 12 911 calls for fatal shootings, attempted shootings, stabbings, threats of violence, physical altercations, theft, and disorderly conduct.”

The hearing on the city’s lawsuit will take place Thursday morning in Fulton County Superior Court.

The club published an Instagram post last month, before the city’s lawsuit was filed, explaining that it would close its doors starting May 12 to “review and enhance” its safety protocols. The statement continued, “This deeply painful moment for our community was an isolated incident and does not reflect our facility’s operating practices or safety record.”

Channel 2 Action News We reached out to Elleven45 early Thursday morning to see if they had a response to the recent lawsuit and are awaiting a response.

(LOG IN: WSB-TV newsletter with daily headlines)

IN OTHER NEWS:

Customers hope for reopening of Gwinnett Co. BBQ restaurant after lightning strike and fire

©2024 Cox Media Group