Florida State University freshman linebacker Ethan Pritchard is taking legal action against two apartment complexes in Havana, Florida, for what he claims was a failure to adequately address violent crime issues. Pritchard, who was shot in the head on August 31, contends that both Riverside Apartments and Havana Heights had experienced multiple shootings in the previous year, including an incident just five days before he was wounded. According to a WFTV report, Pritchard’s attorney argued that “basic security” measures like improved lighting, gates, or security personnel could have possibly prevented the attack. The 18-year-old linebacker is currently undergoing rehabilitation for a critical brain injury.
The violent encounter occurred as Pritchard was driving his aunt home from an FSU football game, an incident that attorneys say could have easily turned deadly. “What if apartment owners… actually paid attention to what the needs are of their complexes,” Greg Orio Francis, Pritchard’s attorney, said at a press conference, as obtained by WFTV. The perpetrators reportedly walked around the complexes for 30 minutes armed with an AK-47 before the incident. Pritchard’s niece and aunt also sustained minor injuries during the attack.
A deeper dive into the lawsuit reveals that Pritchard is suing Riverside Apartments LPP, Community Havana LLC, and their respective property managers, Daniel McMillan and Republic First Management Inc. According to FOX 35 Orlando, the lawsuit accuses them of knowing about the predisposition for criminal conduct on their premises that exposed residents and guests to potential danger. Allegations of negligence encompass the failure to provide adequate security, surveillance and not take necessary precautions to protect people…