EL PASO, Texas, Aug. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Walmart (NYSE:
WMT) has again gone to the Texas Supreme Court to avoid answering
tough questions related to the mass shooting at the El Paso Cielo
Vista store in 2019.
Despite rulings from an El Paso
trial court and the Texas
8th Court of Appeals that the retailer should provide
details about violent crime and security issues at other Walmart
stores, the company's lawyers are fighting to avoid making those
details public. The legal maneuvers are in response to lawsuits
filed by victims, family members and survivors of the Aug. 3, 2019, mass shooting that led to the
deaths of 23 shoppers.
According to the lawsuits, Walmart created a "crime magnet,"
placing profits over safety by not providing adequate private
security at the Cielo Vista location. The retailer instead relied
on taxpayer-funded police to respond to violent crimes after the
fact at the store, which is one of the busiest in the nation.
This is the second time this year that Walmart has asked the
Texas Supreme Court to overturn lower court rulings and shield it
from releasing information sought by attorneys representing victims
and their families. Those two appeals are pending.
"There's a reason Walmart doesn't want a jury to see this
information," said trial lawyer Majed
Nachawati, co-founder of Dallas-based Fears Nachawati Law Firm, which
represents several shooting victims and their families. "The
company knows it failed to provide adequate security despite
violent crime at its stores. These families – and Walmart's loyal
customers – deserve to know the truth."
Accused gunman Patrick Crusius told police after his
arrest that he traveled to El Paso
and chose the Walmart because he was looking for a "soft
target" for his plan to kill "Mexicans." He reportedly
told authorities that he was surprised no one challenged him when
he entered the store carrying an AK-47 assault
rifle.
The case in In re Walmart Inc. & Wal-Mart Stores Tex.
LLC, Tex. App., No. 08-20-00191-CV in the Supreme Court of
Texas.
Fears Nachawati Law Firm represents individuals in
mass-tort litigation, businesses and governmental entities in
contingent litigation, and individual victims in complex
personal injury litigation. The largest and most diverse products
liability law firm in the nation, Fears Nachawati was
ranked No. 1 nationally in
products liability filings in federal court over
the past three years. For more information visit
https://www.fnlawfirm.com.
Media Contact:
Robert
Tharp
214-458-4007
Robert@androvett.com
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SOURCE Fears Nachawati Law Firm