Target has been hit with a pair of lawsuits after two people were stabbed by a homeless man in one of the retailer’s Los Angeles stores last year.
The unprovoked attack took place in November in the Target at the FIGat7th shopping center, when the suspect entered the store and grabbed a large butcher-style knife from the shelf. He approached 9-year-old boy Brayden Medina and threatened the child’s life.
Medina tried to flee, but the suspect grabbed the boy and stabbed him twice in the shoulder. When 25-year-old woman Joo Hye Song intervened and shielded Medina, the suspect stabbed her in the chest.
The 40-year-old suspect, whom police said did not know the victims, was fatally shot by the store’s security guard following the attacks.
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Now, Medina’s parents and Song are suing Target, along with Brookfield Properties and Watermark Security Group, alleging negligence and premises liability, FOX 11 reported.
Medina, who spent more than a month in the hospital following the attack, “suffered grave and life-changing injuries when he was stabbed multiple times at Target,” the lawsuit states.
Both complaints claim Target should have kept knives locked up in a display case rather than available for people to grab, and the complaints argue that security should have acted quicker to stop the suspect.
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Target told FOX Business it is unable to comment on pending litigation but pointed to a statement the company released last year following the incident.
“Safety is our top priority and our hearts go out to the guests who were injured,” reads the statement in response to the attack, in part. “We’re grateful for the aid provided by the Los Angeles Police Department and others, and we’re focusing on supporting our team in the wake of the incident.”
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FOX News’ Peter Aitken contributed to this report.
