Mandalay Bay Sues Las Vegas Shooting Victims

This week lawyers for MGM Resorts International made the legally intelligent, but PR-stupid move of pre-emptively suing the victims of the Las Vegas shooting last fall that killed 58 and wounded 851.

Lawyers for MGM Resorts International, which owns the Mandalay Bay, are suing more than 1,000 victims of the shooting, arguing that they hold no liability in the event. The resort is claiming that all claims by those named in the lawsuit must be dismissed as a result. The case was filed in federal court, which MGM lawyers feel will give them a chance at getting a judge more sympathetic to MGM's stance.

The shooting took place at the Mandalay Bay, where Stephen Paddock had two suites overlooking the Route 91 Harvest Festival, which was hosting a concert. Paddock hauled in assault weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition into the suite, knocked out the windows, and then fired on the thousands of concertgoers, who were in the open air lot. The shooting is the deadliest mass-shooting in American history and caused the government to consider outlawing bump stocks, which effectively make a semi-automatic rifle automatic. Investigations into the shooting pointed out that resort security could have done more to stop the attack.

Robert Eglet, a lawyer for one of the shooting victims commented on the matter, stating: "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."

A statement from an MGM Resorts spokesman read: "The Federal Court is an appropriate venue for these cases and provides those affected with the opportunity for a timely resolution. Years of drawn-out litigation and hearings are not in the best interest of victims, the community and those still healing."