A lawsuit has been filed against the owners of the Allen Premium Outlet Mall, its security company, and Budget Suites of America over last year’s mass shooting that killed eight customers.
The lawsuit alleges that on May 6, 2023, the only armed security present at the mall was an Allen police officer who was there for unrelated reasons. The officer was forced to confront and neutralize the gunman.
The suit named Simon Property Group and Allied Universal Security, accusing them of failing to adequately protect the public. It claims Simon Property Group was aware that malls are vulnerable to attacks but did little to enhance security measures.
It also claims that Allied Universal relied too heavily on remote surveillance from Indianapolis rather than deploying more on-site security personnel.
Budget Suites of America is implicated in the lawsuit for allegedly renting a room to the gunman, who reportedly stockpiled weapons in the room without raising any alarms. The suit seeks unspecified damages.