Hundreds of victims of the Oct. 1 Las Vegas shooting have filed five lawsuits in Los Angeles Superior Court. The largest of the suits names 450 plaintiffs. Among those being sued are MGM Resorts International, owner of the Mandalay Bay resort; Live Nation, organizer of the country music festival where 58 people were killed; and the estate of shooter Stephen Paddock, reports NPR. The victims claim negligence by MGM and Live Nation. They accuse MGM of not having adequate security policies, not properly training staff or surveilling the premises, and failing to respond quickly when security guard Jesus Campos was shot. The suit says Paddock’s VIP status as a high-stakes gambler gave him access to a Mandalay Bay service elevator he used to stockpile weapons and ammunition. Plaintiffs say Live Nation failed to provide enough exits or train employees “in case of a foreseeable event, such as a terrorist attack or other emergency.”
Attorney Muhammad Aziz said the cases were filed in California because most of the plaintiffs are from that state and received treatment there. Last week, another law firm filed 14 suits in a Nevada court. Plaintiffs argue that the shooting could have been stopped, and that the lawsuits are intended to bring policy changes so it can’t happen again. MGM said the shooting “was a terrible tragedy perpetrated by an evil man. These kinds of lawsuits are not unexpected and we intend to defend ourselves against them.” Tom Russell, a University of Denver law professor, said, “One can’t blame the hotel for not predicting that this gunman would go up to their 32nd floor with an arsenal and break out the windows and start firing at people.”