El Paso Walmart: One of the Busiest Walmarts in the Nation Had No Security
By harmonsonlaw on August 28th, 2019 in Premises Liability
On August 3, 2019, 22 people lost their lives and scores of other people were shot and seriously injured when a hate-filled white nationalist drove from Allen, Texas to commit a mass murder on the Hispanic community here in El Paso. There is no doubt that the shooter bares blame for this horrendous act, but there are serious and startling questions that have arisen regarding Walmart’s partial blame in this mass shooting.
Here is what we know so far about the Walmart where the shooting took place.
- There were more than 3,000 shoppers in the Walmart when the shooting took place. The shooting took place at one of the busiest Walmarts in the entire nation on one of the busiest weekends of the entire year—back to school shopping weekend. According to a report by USA Today, retail consultant Burt P. Flickinger III estimates that, “Of any of the hundreds of thousands of retail stores in the country, it’s in the top five for all Walmarts.”
- Walmart knows that this Walmart was one of the busiest Walmarts in the country, yet despite that knowledge, there wasn’t any security guarding the store. There were no armed guards present. There wasn’t any security presence at the store whatsoever. Walmart spokesperson Randy Hargrove also confirmed that Walmart did not have a security guard on duty at the time of the attack.
- It is very disturbing that Walmart didn’t have any security presence on the property, but that is not the most disturbing fact that we have learned. Walmart has indicated that it has absolutely no plans to change any of its security measures nationally after the attack. According to Walmart spokesperson Hargrove, “Nationally, we are not changing any security measures.” Instead of looking for ways to improve customer safety, Walmart seems to be turning a blind eye to the fact that their stores are vulnerable to attacks like El Paso. And as we are all so painfully aware, mass shootings are not going to stop anytime soon.
Walmart certainly has the financial ability to enact state of the art security measures to help prevent a mass attack at its stores. We know that the gunman cased the store before going back to his car and retrieving his weapon. If the shooter was aware of an armed presence in the store, would that have deterred him from his rampage? Could an armed security guard have neutralized the gunman before he had the opportunity to shoot and kill countless people once inside the store? These are the questions for which there will never be a definitive answer. What we do know is that Walmart was careless in their security measures in place in the El Paso store and continues to have a cavalier attitude about its customers’ safety.
Harmonson Law Firm Is Representing the Survivors of this Tragedy
At Harmonson Law Firm, we are committed to holding Walmart accountable for negligence regarding their contributions to this mass casualty. If you or a loved one was a victim of the El Paso Walmart shooting, we urge you to call us to discuss your options in bringing a civil lawsuit against Walmart. Our firm has already been hired to represent several people – both injured victims and surviving family members – and their suits against this negligent corporation. We’re currently working with nationally renowned security experts to determine which measures Walmart should have taken to prevent this foreseeable mass shooting and ensure the safety of its customers.
Walmart only speaks in dollars. This is evident given their corporate response following the shooting. With help from the brave victims and family members of the fatally wounded, our firm can take legal action to hold Walmart accountable and change their negligent security practices here in El Paso and nationwide. Our firm plans to file a lawsuit in the near future. If you have been injured or lost a loved one in this tragic event, please contact Clark Harmonson directly.
Please call (915) 228-4140 for a free and confidential consultation with our experienced attorneys at Harmonson Law Firm. We are ready to fight on your behalf.
