Target lawsuits claim retailer negligent following stabbings at LA store

Target stabbings lawsuits overview: 

• Who: Joo Hye Song and 9-year-old Brayden Medina Molina — through his Guardian ad Litem — filed separate lawsuits against Target Corp. 
• Why: Song and Molina claim Target failed to have proper security precautions in place that they argue could have prevented them from being stabbed during a November 2022 attack at a Los Angeles-area Target location.
• Where: The lawsuits were filed in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles.
• What are my options: Macy’s is an alternative to Target.

Target failed to take safety precautions that could have prevented a pair of Nov. 15, 2022, stabbings carried out by a “deranged” homeless man at a Los Angeles-area Target, a pair of new lawsuits independently allege.

The stabbing attack injured two Target customers — including 9-year-old Brayden Medina Molina — before the homeless male perpetrator was shot dead by an armed security guard working at the store, according to the Target lawsuits. 

Plaintiffs Joo Hye Song and Molina — through his guardian ad litem — claim the armed security guard and others at the store had an opportunity to aid Molina before the attack, but failed to come to his rescue “before it was too late.” 

Molina and Song, an adult female who was also stabbed during the attack, claim the attacker was able to continue roaming the store “wielding a large butcher knife” amidst “mass hysteria” after stabbing Molina, before ultimately attacking Song. 

“Again, neither the armed security guard nor anyone working at the store came to her aid before she too was brutally stabbed,” the Target lawsuits state. 

Target was unable to prevent ‘deranged’ homeless man from grabbing knife, stabbing two customers, suits claim

Song and Molina claim Target knew the area near the store was “seeing an uptick in crime and homelessness,” yet was unable to prevent the “deranged” homeless man from “walking freely into the store” and grabbing the 9-inch butcher knife used in the attack. 

Target has since changed its policies to lock knives sold by the store behind a display case, according to the Target lawsuits, which argue the safety measure “should have already been in place before this tragedy occurred.” 

Song and Molina each claim Target is guilty of negligence and premises liability, while Molina made an additional claim of negligence infliction of emotional distress.

Plaintiffs are both demanding a jury trial and requesting an award of general and special damages, including for past and future medical expenses, loss of enjoyment of life, and past and future physical pain and mental suffering, among other things. 

A class action lawsuit was filed against Target in January over claims the company failed to properly pay distribution center workers in Illinois for their time spent doing pre- and post-work security screenings and while walking to their work areas before clocking in. 

Do you believe Target could have done more to prevent the November 2022 stabbing attack? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiffs are represented by Robert S. Glassman, Brian J. Panish, and Rahul Ravipudi of Panish Shea Boyle Ravipudi LLP. 

The Target stabbings lawsuits are Molina, et al. v. Target Corp., et al., Case No. 23STCV06764, and Song, et al. v. Target Corp., et al., Case No. 23STCV06788, in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles.

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