Fasig | Brooks Law Offices announced today that attorneys Ryan Molaghan and Dan Hogan have filed a civil lawsuit on behalf of the family of Khali Knight, a 23-year-old U.S. Army Veteran who was fatally shot on July 17, 2024, at ReNew Tallahassee apartments in Tallahassee, Florida. The lawsuit, filed in Leon County Circuit Court, names VA8 Seminole Grand, LLC d/b/a ReNew Tallahassee, Trinity Property Consultants, LLC, and Norwood Holdings, LLC d/b/a Signal of Central Tallahassee as defendants.
The complaint alleges that the defendants were negligent in their duty to provide adequate security measures for residents and guests, despite a documented history of prior shooting incidents and violent crimes on and around the premises. The property owner, management company, and security company failed to implement reasonable safeguards, according to the lawsuit. Attorney Ryan Molaghan stated, "Khali Knight's untimely death was entirely preventable. The site of this senseless shooting has been a hotbed for serious violent crime, including several shooting deaths, for years and years."
The lawsuit alleges failures including inadequate lighting, insufficient security patrols, lack of proper access controls, and failure to respond to the known pattern of violent criminal activity. It further claims that the contracted security company failed to fulfill its professional obligations, placing residents and visitors at an unreasonable risk of harm. The perpetrator, who resided at ReNew Tallahassee at the time, pleaded guilty to federal gun and drug offenses related to Knight's murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
While the criminal justice system has delivered a measure of justice, Molaghan and Hogan emphasized that the civil case seeks to hold accountable those whose negligence created dangerous conditions. "A criminal conviction of the shooter does not absolve those who failed to prevent the violence in the first place from being held accountable," Molaghan said. "Property owners and management companies, as well as security companies, have a legal obligation to keep people lawfully on the property safe. Full stop."
This case underscores the importance of premises liability and the duty of property owners to address known safety risks. For more information on negligent security claims, visit Fasig | Brooks Law Offices.
