Clayton County police investigating a deadly shooting at the Family Dollar store located at 5425 Riverdale Road on Feb. 2, 2024. (FOX 5)
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. - The mother of a 20-year-old man killed in a shooting at a Clayton County Family Dollar is filing a lawsuit against the company over his death.
On Feb. 2, Clayton County Police responded to a shooting incident at a Family Dollar store located at 5425 Riverdale.
At the scene, officers found 20-year-old Lem Johnny Johnson IV lying on the floor. He had been shot multiple times.
After months of investigating, authorities identified a suspect in Johnson's shooting as Montevious Garrison and put him as No. 1 on the county's Top 10 Most Wanted List. Officers arrested Garrison on June 6 in Newnan and charged him with murder during the commission of a felony, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm, and reckless conduct.
MONTEVIOUS GARRISON
In a lawsuit filed by the Beasley Allen Law Firm, Johnson's mother, Sheila Brooks, said she dropped her son off at the store before he died.
Attorneys claim in the lawsuit that Family Dollar has "substantial notice" of the risks of criminal acts at the store but didn't take steps to guard against the dangers, leading to Johnson's injuries and death.
"We are committed to seeking justice for Lem's family. Property owners have a legal and moral obligation to ensure the safety of their premises. This tragic incident could have been prevented with proper security measures," said Attorney Ben Keen. "We will pursue this case vigorously to hold the responsible parties accountable and to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future."
Despite the foreseeability of the incident and their awareness of violent criminal activity occurring at the premises long before the incident, the Defendants chose not to take reasonable measures to protect the health, safety, and welfare of those frequenting their premises.
The lawsuit has been filed in Clayton County State Court.