The October 2021 shooting at Park City Center Mall in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is the center of a recently-filed lawsuit by a mother and daughter who were injured during the shooting.
According to a local outlet, Lancaster Online, the mother and daughter duo filed their lawsuit in the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas. Lucy Mendenhall, who was 85 at the time of the shooting, and her daughter Wendy A. Mendenhall, named the mall's owner, Chicago-based Brookfield Properties, as being responsible for the injuries they sustained as a result of the shooting.
The mother and daughter detail in their complaint that the owners failed to reasonably or adequately minimize the risk of violence. Despite the mall having a history of crime, the owners did not do enough to prevent an environment that ultimately allowed the shooting to take place.
The shooting took place last fall shortly after 2:00 p.m. when 16-year-old Jeremiah Josiah-Alberto Sanchez got into a physical fight with two other men. As a result of the fight, Sanchez pulled out a firearm and shot the two men as well as one other woman who was at the mall with her family.
An armed bystander also shot Sanchez in the elbow and hand as a result of the gunfire. The teen was ultimately charged with two felony counts of criminal attempted homicide, three felony counts of aggravated assault, and 52 misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment for all the people who were at the mall during the time of the shooting.
As the mall patrons tried to escape, the mother and daughter detail in their complaint that they were both trampled and injured as a result of mall-goers fleeing the scene, although neither one of them was shot.
As a result of her injuries, Lucy Mendenhall shared that she suffered a cracked rib and a punctured lung. Her punctured lung resulted in pneumonia and eventually a blood clot. Because of her injuries, the 85-year-old explained that she had to spend time in an assisted care facility where she practiced basic skills such as relearning how to talk.
The Mendenhalls’ lawsuit explains that the mall has a “no firearms” policy, but that the policy was not followed. The complaint also includes data that shows that over the past five years, law enforcement was called to the mall on several occasions to respond to at least ten fights.
Nathaniel Foote, the Mendenhalls’ attorney, shared with Lancaster Online, “The unfortunate reality is that gun violence is part of the American experience and it certainly is part of Brookfield’s experience running malls across the country.”
According to their complaint. The mother and daughter are seeking an unspecified amount in excess of $50,000. Brookfield Properties has yet to respond to the suit brought against them.
