Adequate Security May Have Prevented Pittsburgh Shooting

March 5, 2014

Adequate security may have prevented Pittsburgh shooting

A shooting at a Pittsburgh bar took the life of one victim and injured four others on Friday morning, around 1:25 a.m. A gunman entered the Rendezvous Phase II bar and began shooting. The gunman was then able to get away and is still at large.

While four security guards, who are required to search all patrons for weapons, were allegedly present at the time of the shooting, witnesses believe a search of the gunman did not occur. The four security guards also left the bar before law enforcement arrived on the scene. Witnesses did not want to talk on camera and according to a councilman, many in the community are terrorized by gunmen and afraid to speak up.

The mayor also believes that others in the bar could be a big help in finding the shooter if they would talk. However, there are surveillance cameras both inside the bar and outside, which should be able to give the investigators some assistance in apprehending the shooter. Even with security guards and video surveillance, this bar ended up being a dangerous property for its patrons. The 27-year-old man who was killed received multiple gunshots to the chest. The four other victims, also in their 20s, suffered less severe wounds, which were all non life-threatening.

Business owners are responsible to ensure that their places of business are as safe as possible for their patrons. In the event that a business has obvious shortcomings in safety procedures, or the business contains dangerous property, the owners can be held liable in the case of injuries or wrongful death. Victims or their families may file a premises liability suit.

This bar appeared to have safety precautions in place, but those safety measures failed to protect the patrons. The reason the security guards allegedly did not search the gunman is unknown at this time. The security guards may be a major key in the investigation.