Family of slain Clark Atlanta grad suing college where she was killed
Dr. Cameisha Clark was killed in what police say was a targeted shooting at a California college. (Courtesy of Stewart Miller Simmons Trial Attorneys)
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The family of Dr. Cameisha Clark, a Clark Atlanta graduate who was killed in what police say was a targeted shooting, has filed a lawsuit against the California college where she worked and other organizations.
Clark's family and their attorneys will announce the wrongful death lawsuit at a press conference on Wednesday.
SEE MORE: Remembering Dr. Cameisha Clark: CAU alumna, college dean gunned down in California
The backstory:
On Friday, May 2, police say former security guard Jesse Figueroa returned to Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology in Inglewood, California, in security clothes and shot Clark and her assistant.
While a potential motive behind the deadly violence has not been released, police have called it a targeted, execution-style shooting.
Figueroa was charged with murder, attempted murder and several counts of possessing a firearm as a felon. He also faces gun sentencing enhancements, which can lead to additional penalties when a gun is used during a crime.
Family of murdered doctor ?going to remember her light?
The family of a California college dean with ties to Atlanta who was gunned down on her campus is speaking out about their loss. They admit the unexpected death has taken a toll on the family. They have chosen to focus on the great things Dr. Cameisha Clark accomplished in her 35 short years.
The university said Dr. Clark had recently been promoted to Dean of Student Affairs before her tragic death.
What they're saying:
In a release discussing the lawsuit, attorneys for the family claim that Figueroa's security guard license had expired more than a decade earlier, but it wasn't checked by the security company that hired him or Spartan College.
Attorneys also accuse the security company and the college of not conducting a background check that would have flagged the alleged gunman's criminal history, which they say included multiple counts of robbery in 2007.
Police take Jesse Figueroa into custody (Courtesy of FOX 11)
The family is asking for a jury trial as well as wrongful death, survival actions, economic, and punitive damages plus legal fees.
Dig deeper:
Just two months before her killing, Clark Atlanta University's School of Education spotlighted Clark for her phenomenal career as a "Triple Panther." Their Instagram post highlighted the three-time alumnus who earned her undergraduate, Master's, and Educational Doctorate degrees from CAU and even worked at the college at one point.
The granddaughter of the former interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, Clark's life was tied to the Atlanta university. She was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and was initiated into the Alpha Pi Chapter at CAU. She was also a former CAU cheerleader.
A week after her death, the school announced the creation of the Dr. Cameisha Clark Scholarship Fund, which will help support students who are following Clark in studying education.
The Source: Information for this article came from a release by tewart Miller Simmons Trial Attorneys and previous FOX 5 reporting.