Owners of an East St. Louis club are accused of allowing minors in the business and failing to protect them the night of a deadly shooting.
Sheila Crisp, special administrator of the estate of Henry Byrd III, Kendall Freeman, Orlandas Love, Donnie Sherrell, Jared Washington and Demetrius Williams filed a lawsuit Sept. 23 against Club VIP Inc., La Bon Vie Corporation and Sports Club Restaurants Inc. Club owners Cedric Taylor Sr. and Cedric Taylor Jr.
According to the complaint, the Taylors own and operate Club VIP on State Street in East St. Louis. The men allegedly allowed underage patrons inside the club on Sept. 23, 2012, past the city's curfew for minors.
On that night, "five people were shot, including Henry Byrd III" who died from his wounds, the lawsuit reads. Plaintiffs Freeman, Love, Sherrell, Washington and Williams say they sustained injuries "including shooting wounds, brass knuckle injuries to the head, emotional distress from being in the zone of danger, all to their damage."
The six plaintiffs accuse the defendants of negligence for allegedly "failing to provide adequate security." They ask for more than $50,000 in damages plus costs of the lawsuit.
Attorney Michael L. McGlynn of Belleville represents them.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 14-L-653
East St. Louis club accused of negligence in deadly shooting
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