The families of Timothy Schmidt Jr. and Tyrek Hill filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the city of Orlando and Downtown Power LLC. Schmidt and Hill attended the downtown party, which included several bars, last Halloween when police say 17-year-old Jaylen Edgar started shooting.The wrongful death lawsuit filed by attorney Douglas McCarron with the Haggard Law Firm claims the city and the Downtown Power LLC, which filed for the permit, were negligent in how they handled security. In one particular part of the lawsuit, it claims the city of Orlando, “through its OPD officers and agents, negligently failed to implement its policies and procedures and failed to maintain the area where the Downtown Orlando Halloween festivities/block party took place in a condition reasonably safe for use by its invitees.” Timothy Schmidt Sr. is speaking out now, worried someone else’s child will be killed Friday night at the next Halloween party. Schmidt had this sobering message for the community: “If you have a child attending any of the schools around downtown Orlando or just living up there, I would avoid downtown. Clearly, they haven’t figured out how to maintain a tight security presence. This has happened a couple times already, and it looks like they’re not doing anything about it.” The lawsuit lists 20 reasons Downtown Power LLC was negligent, claiming there wasn’t enough security, sufficient lighting or surveillance cameras. Attorney Douglas McCarron says Downtown Power LLC was the group that pulled the permit for the event, but wants more answers as to what they were responsible for. “Were they responsible for anything more than this Wall Street area? Did it extend to the whole area? That’s something that, quite frankly, we haven’t gotten a specific answer to, and that part of what the whole lawsuit is about,” McCarron said. Reporter Lindsey Sablan called the number on Downtown Power LLC’s website. A man named Michael responded via text message, writing, “I’m not sure why we are part of the lawsuit. The incident did not happen inside our permitted area.” McCarron says his clients are very concerned someone will get hurt this year, especially with the new open carry law. “If you can’t have something safe, you can’t keep guns out of a festival like that, where people are drinking, especially in today’s day and age. I mean, sometimes you have to say, we can’t do it,” McCarron said.Orlando police offered this statement regarding security this year. “The safety and security of everyone remains the Orlando Police Department’s top priority. While we don’t discuss specific security measures, we always plan and staff large-scale events appropriately to provide proper public safety and assess the needs of the event to make any necessary security modifications.”The Orlando Police Department wants to remind our community to always call 9-1-1 or flag down an officer working the event if they see anything suspicious. Whether security measures are visible or not, officers are always working on the streets and behind the scenes to ensure the safety of our city.”Commissioner Shan Rose, who represents the downtown area, would also not offer specifics but did say there will be increased security. “OPD recently hosted a meeting with the bars and the nightclubs to kind of talk through some mechanisms and in order to make sure that everyone’s safe and making sure that we open up a streamline of good communication,” she said. “Keep the drama at home. I think that’s the biggest thing for us is, you know, come and have a good time.”The suspected shooter has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and six counts of attempted first-degree murder.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
The families of Timothy Schmidt Jr. and Tyrek Hill filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the city of Orlando and Downtown Power LLC. Schmidt and Hill attended the downtown party, which included several bars, last Halloween when police say 17-year-old Jaylen Edgar started shooting.
The wrongful death lawsuit filed by attorney Douglas McCarron with the Haggard Law Firm claims the city and the Downtown Power LLC, which filed for the permit, were negligent in how they handled security.
In one particular part of the lawsuit, it claims the city of Orlando, “through its OPD officers and agents, negligently failed to implement its policies and procedures and failed to maintain the area where the Downtown Orlando Halloween festivities/block party took place in a condition reasonably safe for use by its invitees.”
Timothy Schmidt Sr. is speaking out now, worried someone else’s child will be killed Friday night at the next Halloween party.
Schmidt had this sobering message for the community: “If you have a child attending any of the schools around downtown Orlando or just living up there, I would avoid downtown. Clearly, they haven’t figured out how to maintain a tight security presence. This has happened a couple times already, and it looks like they’re not doing anything about it.”
The lawsuit lists 20 reasons Downtown Power LLC was negligent, claiming there wasn’t enough security, sufficient lighting or surveillance cameras.
Attorney Douglas McCarron says Downtown Power LLC was the group that pulled the permit for the event, but wants more answers as to what they were responsible for.
“Were they responsible for anything more than this Wall Street area? Did it extend to the whole area? That’s something that, quite frankly, we haven’t gotten a specific answer to, and that part of what the whole lawsuit is about,” McCarron said.
Reporter Lindsey Sablan called the number on Downtown Power LLC’s website. A man named Michael responded via text message, writing, “I’m not sure why we are part of the lawsuit. The incident did not happen inside our permitted area.”
McCarron says his clients are very concerned someone will get hurt this year, especially with the new open carry law.
“If you can’t have something safe, you can’t keep guns out of a festival like that, where people are drinking, especially in today’s day and age. I mean, sometimes you have to say, we can’t do it,” McCarron said.
Orlando police offered this statement regarding security this year.
“The safety and security of everyone remains the Orlando Police Department’s top priority. While we don’t discuss specific security measures, we always plan and staff large-scale events appropriately to provide proper public safety and assess the needs of the event to make any necessary security modifications.
“The Orlando Police Department wants to remind our community to always call 9-1-1 or flag down an officer working the event if they see anything suspicious. Whether security measures are visible or not, officers are always working on the streets and behind the scenes to ensure the safety of our city.”
Commissioner Shan Rose, who represents the downtown area, would also not offer specifics but did say there will be increased security.
“OPD recently hosted a meeting with the bars and the nightclubs to kind of talk through some mechanisms and in order to make sure that everyone’s safe and making sure that we open up a streamline of good communication,” she said. “Keep the drama at home. I think that’s the biggest thing for us is, you know, come and have a good time.”
The suspected shooter has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and six counts of attempted first-degree murder.