Two lawsuits have been filed against the Pump Roadhouse in Regina after a shooting in late April that left two men hurt.
Statements of claim, which contain allegations that have not been proven in court, have been filed by the two men who were shot in the bar in the early-morning hours of April 29. Both documents say the men have lost income as a result of their injuries, were left with mental anguish and anxiety, and accuse the bar of not taking enough precautions to keep patrons safe.
The first claim was filed by Sarain Stoney, stating that the man was shot in the face and the shoulder.
The statement says an employee of the nightclub let Stoney in through a back door around midnight, and “no security measures appeared to be taken to either ensure public safety, generally, and his safety”.
It was around 1:30 a.m., according the the statment, that Stoney was walking towards the lower level and saw a man with a gun. That’s when he was shot just below his right ear, followed by a second shot on the back side of his right shoulder.
The second statement of claim, filed by Jordan Burns on Tuesday, says Burns was also let into the club through the backdoor without any security checks. It goes on to say he was waiting for food by the kitchen when the gunman ran into him.
The statement says the gunman turned around and shot Burns twice in the arm.
Burns was taken to hospital and released around 5:30 p.m. Stoney, however, remained in hospital until Friday, May 20.
Both lawsuits seek damages for mental suffering and medical costs.
As of Tuesday morning, no statement of defence had been filed for either case.
On Tuesday afternoon, Mark Smith who is a shareholder in The Pump said he hadn’t yet been served, so he hadn’t yet read the statements of claim.
“People aren’t supposed to bring guns in and shoot people … basically I think that it should fall on that individual. He’s responsible for the shooting.”
Smith said when someone decides to bring a gun and open fire somewhere, he doesn’t know what people can do stop it.
“We have a duty to keep people safe and we’ve always done a good job of that. However, you know, if someone wants to rob a bank, armed robbery, do they hold the bank accountable for that? I don’t know.”
Smith asserts that before the shooting there wasn’t any bar or club in the province that used things like metal detectors and pat downs. Since the incident, Smith explained The Pump has implemented more security measures like metal detectors.
The suit is now in the hands of the club’s lawyers and insurance company.
Smith said all they can do now is hope the victims are recovering well. He pointed to the deadly shooting in Orlando earlier this month, saying he’s thankfully no one was killed in the shooting at The Pump.