Shooting at Club VIP in ESL leads to wrongful death complaint

The father of a man shot at an East St. Louis nightclub filed a wrongful death claim against its owners.

Henry Byrd Jr., in his individual capacity as the special administrator of the estate of Henry Byrd III, filed a lawsuit Sept. 2 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Club VIP Inc., also known as La Bon Vie Corporation, Sports Club Restaurants Inc. and Club Casino doing business as Club VIP. Club co-owners and operators Cedric Taylor Sr. and Cedric Taylor Jr. are also named as defendants.

According to the complaint, Henry Byrd Jr.'s son, Henry Byrd III, was shot Sept. 12, 2012, while visiting Club VIP on State Street in East St. Louis. He says his son died as a result of those injuries.

Henry Byrd Jr. accuses the defendants of wrongful death for allegedly having inadequate and negligent security. He says the co-owners and bar staff knew patrons carried weapons and that the business had a long history of violent incidents on the premises. Byrd Jr. says the shooting of his son was a "foreseeable event caused or contributed to by the negligence of the defendants." He says they failed to screen patrons for weapons and failed to intervene or take action after realizing there was a threat.

Byrd Jr. asks to be awarded more than $50,000 in damages for loss of companionship, society, love and affection. Attorney Matthew C. Casey with Casey & Devoti in St. Louis represents him.

St. Clair County Circuit case number: 14-L-618.