Fasig | Brooks Law Offices has filed a civil lawsuit on behalf of the family of Khali Knight, a 23-year-old U.S. Army veteran who was fatally shot on July 17, 2024, at the ReNew Tallahassee apartments in Tallahassee, Florida. The complaint, filed in Leon County Circuit Court, names VA8 Seminole Grand, LLC (doing business as ReNew Tallahassee), Trinity Property Consultants, LLC, and Norwood Holdings, LLC (doing business as Signal of Central Tallahassee) as defendants.
According to the lawsuit, the defendants were negligent in their duty to provide adequate security measures for residents and guests. The complaint alleges that despite a documented history of prior shooting incidents and violent crimes on and around the premises, the property owner, management company, and private security firm failed to implement reasonable safeguards. Attorneys Ryan Molaghan and Dan Hogan represent the family.
"Khali Knight's untimely death was entirely preventable," said Attorney Ryan Molaghan. "The site of this senseless shooting has been a hotbed for serious violent crime, including several shooting deaths, for years and years. We fully expect the evidence to show that the defendants knew of the propensity for violence to occur on the property and failed to act responsibly to prevent it."
The lawsuit cites a litany of failures, including inadequate lighting, insufficient security patrols, lack of proper access controls, and failure to respond appropriately to known patterns of violent criminal activity. The action further alleges that the contracted security company failed to fulfill its professional obligations, placing residents and visitors at an unreasonable and foreseeable risk of harm.
The perpetrator, who was allowed to reside at ReNew Tallahassee at the time of the shooting, pleaded guilty to federal gun and drug offenses related to Knight's murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. While the criminal justice system has delivered a measure of justice, Attorneys Molaghan and Hogan emphasized that the civil case seeks to hold accountable those whose negligence created the dangerous conditions that cost a young veteran his life.
"A criminal conviction of the shooter does not absolve those who failed to prevent the violence in the first place from being held accountable," Molaghan stated. "Property owners and management companies, as well as security companies, have a legal obligation to keep people lawfully on the property safe. Full stop. When they neglect their obligation, it's time for them to feel the full weight of the law."
The case highlights ongoing concerns about security at apartment complexes with histories of violent crime. The lawsuit seeks damages for wrongful death, pain and suffering, and other losses under Florida law. As the legal process unfolds, the Knight family hopes to achieve accountability and prevent future tragedies.
