(WJCL News)
Local News Update
15-year-old Jamari Batts was reportedly shot and injured outside the Madison Apartments on West 54th Street Thursday, December 4, 2014.
According to WJCL News, the teenage boy was shot outside his home at the Madison Apartments on West 54th Street, off Montgomery Street, Thursday evening. Police apparently responded to the scene shortly after 10:30pm and transported the child to Memorial University Medical Center where he later succumbed to injuries.
The community is now seeking answers and justice in what is the latest of a recent spree of shootings in the Savannah community and the second Savannah apartment complex shooting of a child in under a month. Police have not yet identified a suspect or motive in the assault.
Our Legal Take
Particularly given the recent surge in community violence, The Murray Law Firm is questioning whether a potentially fatal apartment security lapse may have contributed to this horrific assault.
Following previous community shootings, what additional security precautions were implemented by the owner and management of Madison Apartments to protect patrons and to deter such violence on property?
Was the gunman a resident of Madison Apartments and, if not, how did he gain access to the property? What access controls, such as security fencing, gated entry, and surveillance cameras, were in place and working at the time of the shooting?
The shooting apparently occurred outside on apartment grounds. What outdoor security measures, such as bright lighting, emergency call boxes and security patrols, were available to Jamari Batts outside his apartment home?
By law, apartment owners are required to protect all residents and guests legally on premises from any foreseeable harm. Should a property owner have knowledge of previous violence on or near property, they have a duty to implement extraordinary security precautions to prevent such crime on their property.
Given the recent violence in the Savannah community, The Murray Law Firm suggests that it is possible the owner and management of Madison Apartments failed in their duty to protect Jamari Batts. If so, his family may elect to hold the property civilly liable in his wrongful death. Claims of this magnitude, potentially in the millions of dollars, would demand that Madison Apartments finally implement proper security measures to protect residents and deter crime.
Further, such claims would send a gravely-needed message to other Savannah apartment owners on the need to make resident safety their first priority. By calling on all local apartment owners to implement proper security precautions, such as surveillance cameras, bright lighting, security patrols, and access-controls, many other young lives may be spared.
Photographs and a thorough, unbiased investigation of the property will need to be performed on the family’s behalf as soon as possible to ensure all evidence, such as surveillance footage or broken fencing, is preserved and their best interests are protected.
The Murray Law Firm works tirelessly to protect victims of apartment violence and property negligence and we offer our legal expertise, if needed. Anyone seeking further information or legal representation is encouraged to contact us at 912.385.9690. Consultations are free and confidential.
