The owner of the Mandalay Bay Hotel, Las Vegas, is suing the victims of a mass shooting that took place there
According to reports MGM Resorts International, the company which owns the hotel, is not seeking money in the lawsuit but is instead attempting to avoid liability.
The shooting happened on October 1st 2017 when Stephen Paddock, a 64-year-old male, shot at 22,000 festival goers from the Mandalay Bay Hotel during the Route 91 Harvest festival which is also owned by MGM.
He had 23 weapons and shot for around 10 minutes. He killed 58 people before taking his own life.
MGM has filed complaints in both Nevada and California attempting to argue that it cannot be held responsible for any of the deaths, injuries or damages caused due to the security company it hired being certified by the Department of Homeland Security.
They claim that a 2002 federal act protects the security firm from any liability and this should extend to the hotel itself as they hired their protection services.
A lawyer for the victims named Robert Eglet has branded the actions “outrageous” and “unethical”.
Eglet said that the lawsuit “quite frankly verges on unethical,” and added “I’ve never seen a more outrageous thing, where they sue the victims in an effort to find a judge they like. It’s just really sad that they would stoop to this level” in an interview with the Las Vegas Review Journal.
In response, lawsuits have been filed against MGM and the concert organisers Live Nation.
A spokesperson for MGM said in a statement it was sympathetic to the victims and not suing for money.
