One Injured After Shooting Near Pool at Tallahassee Apartment Complex

On Sunday, April 7, 2024, a shooting incident at the Redpoint Tallahassee apartment complex located at 2600 Mission Road in Tallahassee, Florida, resulted in a woman suffering a gunshot wound to her hand. The event occurred shortly after 6:30 p.m.

Authorities, including the Tallahassee Police Department, arrived at the scene around 9:00 p.m., focusing their investigation on the apartment complex’s pool area. The scene was secured with yellow crime scene tape, and the presence of multiple police and forensics vehicles indicated a thorough examination. Observations from neighbors suggested that the pool area is a common site for large parties, as evidenced by the litter and plastic cups found scattered around the pool deck.

Despite the immediate response and ongoing investigation, the details leading up to the shooting remain unclear, and no suspects have been apprehended or identified.

Is There a Cause of Action for a Victim of a Shooting at an Apartment Complex Pool in Florida?

Under Florida law, property owners and managers have a duty to provide reasonable security measures and to prevent foreseeable harm to residents and visitors. This duty extends to protecting individuals from criminal acts if such acts could reasonably be anticipated.

Frequent parties at an apartment complex could suggest a recurring situation that could potentially increase the risk of violent incidents. The presence of large gatherings, especially those involving alcohol consumption, raises concerns about both violence, like physical attacks or shootings, as well as accidental injuries, such as drownings. Parties might not only attract residents, but also would likely attract outsiders, potentially including individuals with criminal intent.

Given these circumstances, there are several questions that could be considered under the lens of negligent security at an apartment complex:

• Foreseeability of Harm: Were the property owners or managers aware of the frequent parties and the associated risks? The evidence of ongoing large gatherings and the resultant disorder around the pool area could suggest that the property management should have anticipated the possibility of harm.
• Adequacy of Security Measures: Were there adequate security measures in place to monitor the gatherings and deter criminal behavior? The apparent lack of security oversight during these events, as no reports indicate the presence of guards or staff managing the crowds or entry points, may point to a deficiency in reasonable security provision.
• Access Control: Was there effective control over who could access the premises, especially during large gatherings that might attract non-residents? The potential influx of outsiders during these parties increases the risk profile of the property.

In this hypothetical scenario, if the shooting was an outcome that could have been foreseen given the history of insufficiently monitored large gatherings, there might be grounds for a negligent security claim. The injured party could argue that more stringent security measures, such as the presence of security personnel, better lighting, controlled access during parties, or even prohibitions on such large gatherings, could have prevented the incident.

This case underscores the importance for property owners and managers to regularly assess and address the security needs associated with their properties, especially when recurring events increase risk factors.