Victims of Northwoods Mall shooting file lawsuit

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - More than two years after a shooting in the Northwoods Mall parking lot, two victims are suing and claiming their life-altering injuries could have been prevented.

A shooter opened fire in the mall’s parking lot on Feb. 14, 2021, hurting three people.

Related: Police chief, Northwoods Mall holding press conference on shooting that injured three

Two of the victims are suing the mall, its corporate owner, the mall manager and the security company.

The lawsuits allege there wasn’t proper security, surveillance or patrol on the property. They also claim the defendants did not remove dangerous people from the premises.

One of the victims, who was shot in the thigh and hand, is represented by Warren Lokey of the Lokey Law Firm. The lawsuit states a bullet remains in the victim’s leg to this day, causing ongoing medical complications and bills in addition to anxiety and trauma challenges requiring treatment.

“And I think it’s caused her a lot of grief and I think she’s gone through some major or had some major issues as a result of this psychological and otherwise, it’s not really something you bounce back from,” Lokey says.

The plaintiff’s “capacity to live, enjoy life, function normally at home, work and all over public arenas was restricted and diminished as a result of the conduct of the Defendants,” the lawsuit reads.

Related: Northwoods Mall reopening on May 1, implementing protective measures

Another lawsuit was filed in early 2023 as well, on behalf of another victim by Brian Mickelsen of Mickelsen Dalton LLC. The suit includes a list of hundreds of crimes that were committed on mall property between 2016 and 2021. Lokey noticed the same trends when making his case.

“Based on the history of crimes that had been committed on this property, it’s about as foreseeable as it could be. But to the general public, I don’t think they would know this right off the bat because I think Northwoods mall looks like a very pleasant you know, normal mall. But the but the truth is, is that it’s a hotbed and has been a hotbed of criminal activity for a long time,” Lokey says.

The victims are asking for a jury trial to determine the value of the damages they claim and to cover their legal fees.

The Northwoods Mall parent owner, CBL, declined to comment.

According to court documents, the person charged in this 2021 shooting was at first denied bond and held in jail. But less than 10 months later, was given a bond and has been out since the fall of 2021 with three attempted murder charges still pending.

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