In an aggressive legal maneuver, MGM Resorts International, which owns the Mandalay Bay Resort and the Route 91 Harvest festival venue in Las Vegas where last year’s deadly mass shooting occurred, has filed lawsuits against more than 1,000 survivors of the attack, Washington Post reports.
The lawsuits, which were filed in Nevada and California federal courts last Friday, do not seek compensation but instead ask federal courts to rule MGM was not at fault for the shooting based on the 2002 federal law known as the Safety Act.
The legislation was passed following 9/11 and shields corporations from liability following terrorist attacks. MGM asserts they are protected from liability based on their hiring of a security company certified by the Department of Homeland Security and their assertion the shooting qualifies a terrorist act.
Debra DeShong, the spokeswoman for MGM, said via statement, “From the day of this tragedy, we have focused on the recovery of those impacted by the despicable act of one evil individual. While we expected the litigation that followed, we also feel strongly that victims and the community should be able to recover and find resolution in a timely manner.”
She goes on to say, “Congress provided that the federal courts were the correct place for such litigation relating to incidents of mass violence like this one where security services approved by the Department of Homeland Security were provided.”
According to NBC news, the streamlining legal approach has been met with disdain from attorney Robert Eglet, whose firm represents multiple survivors of the shooting. “They didn’t have to take this overly aggressive outrageous situation where they’re victimizing these people now twice,” he said.
He goes on to question the strategy, saying, “This is the first time that we’re aware of that anyone has raised the Safety Act and tried to basically get out of responsibility for their negligence by trying to use the Safety Act.”
Mike Cronk, a survivor of the shooting and a retired teacher from Alaska, says he doesn’t feel MGM is culpable for the shooting but worries about the impact of the legal maneuvering, saying, “I know people are going to take this personally, like a slap to the face.”
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