Man wounded in shooting that killed Takeoff sues venue
HOUSTON (CBSNewsTexas.com) – A man who was injured in the shooting that killed Takeoff, one-third of the hip-hop trio Migos, is suing the venue where the shooting took place.
Joshua Washington is suing 810 Houston, their owners and property managers, saying the venue and event failed to provide adequate security, screening or emergency assistance either before or after the shooting that killed Takeoff and wounded him and two others.
Washington was working as personal assistant to Takeoff's uncle and bandmate Quavo at the time of the shooting.
"810 Houston was warned that they needed extra security," said Bakari Sellers, one of Washington's attorneys. "They knew it was a hotspot for violent crime and that an after hours event like this could turn deadly in a second. But they ignored those warnings and now they have blood on their hands. This shooting was a tragedy. But it was a preventable tragedy."
He said that when shots rang out at the venue, it became immediately apparent the security the venue promised didn't exist.
"There was no one," Washington said. "The bullets started flying and no one came to help. There were no security guards trying to stop the shooting, no one to help those of us who were hurt, no one at all. They just left us there to die."
Washington was shot in his right side, barely missing his colon.
"They had no properly trained security personnel, adequate signage, lighting or cameras," said Audia Jones, another one of Washington's attorneys. "They had no screening to keep out weapons. They didn't even have a working metal detector. This was a powder keg of their own making and folks like Takeoff and Joshua Washington got caught in the explosion."