ATLANTA — Another lawsuit has been filed against a Buckhead club and others after a May shooting left two people dead and others hurt.
The lawsuit claims Downell Laster was at Elleven45 Lounge on Mother's Day weekend when the shooting broke out, leaving him injured. The complaint filed in Fulton County states that Laster's "life has been forever altered by this heinous act."
Police said a suspect opened fire at the club on May 12 and shot six people: 21-year-old Mari Creighton, who was an Albany State University volleyball player, 20-year-old Nakyris M. Ridley died, and four others were hurt.
"Tragically, Mr. Laster suffered catastrophic injuries from his gunshot wounds on the premises and had to be rushed to Grady Hospital, where he was admitted for several days," the suit states.
It also alleges the business had a history of incidents and that the lounge was "poorly maintained, in disrepair, unsafe, and a haven for dangerous conduct and violent criminal activity." The complaint alleges prior incidents -- with some mentioned dating back to 2020 -- should have prompted the defendants to have better security measures.
Laster, according to the lawsuit, has a long recovery process and is dealing with physical and emotional pain behind the shooting.
"Elleven45 Lounge has repeatedly failed to implement adequate security measures, and finally their negligence culminated in the tragic deaths of two young Georgians brimming with potential, and inflicted profound trauma on four others, including Mr. Laster," the suit alleges.
The business is currently temporarily closed as attorneys work to resolve a complaint the City of Atlanta filed against the lounge. Last month, the club released a statement addressing the shooting enhanced security measures, and alleged racial biases regarding the club's operation.
"It is very alarming to witness the continuous racial targeting of Black-owned establishments. The current efforts to shut down the establishment stem from its urban atmosphere and diverse clientele, which deviate from the Buckhead community's norms," the statement reads, in part.
The lounge referenced 11Alive's prior reporting on crime statistics at and around the establishment in its statement saying, "Recent statistics from an 11Alive news report confirm that Elleven45 has maintained a commendable safety record."
In May, 11Alive scoured all 1,547 calls for service to the lounge dating back to June 2020. We also found that more than 1,100 off-duty Atlanta Police officers had worked security at the club. Only a few of the calls were for violent crimes -- including the May shooting, another in November 2023, and a stabbing in 2021. The rest were various calls, ranging from noise complaints to thefts.