Hundreds of Las Vegas Shooting Victims File Lawsuits Against Live Nation, MGM Resorts

Dozens were killed and hundreds were injured in Las Vegas Oct. 1 when a lone gunman opened fire on the Route 91 Harvest music festival from the window of the adjacent Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.

Many lawsuits have already been filed, but now, lawyers on behalf of over 450 of the victims are seeking further repercussions, namely from the hospitality companies involved in the tragedy, The Los Angeles Times reports. They filed a new wave of lawsuits against Mandalay Bay and its parent company MGM Resorts International, the corporate owners of the festival’s fairgrounds, and the festival’s promoter Live Nation, as well as the slain gunman Stephen Paddock’s estate.

Houston-based lawyers Chad Pinkerton and Mo Aziz filed the cases in Los Angeles, claiming that the hotel personnel and concert officials were negligent in preventing the shooting. The complaints argued that the resort breached “their duty of reasonable care” by failing to notice that Paddock was amassing extensive weaponry in his room and also faulted the hotel for not responding quickly enough when Paddock shot a security guard before unloading on the festival crowd. The lawyers are also accusing the festival of not facilitating adequate exits and properly trained employees, leading to additional injuries.

The lawsuit could drag out for years in court, as the plaintiffs are faced with the challenge of proving that parties other than the shooter are responsible for the massacre. However, Pinkerton believes that he can show that it could have been avoided if the hotel officials would have followed policies regarding weapons and implemented safety regulations.

“Our focus in this case is not about gun control, because I think a lot of our clients feel strongly about their rights about gun ownership,” Aziz told the Times. “It’s about promoting security in the hospitality industry.”