In a slightly unusual case, a lawsuit has been filed over the violent death of a 33-year-old man who was killed at a house party in Lynnfield. The death occurred in an incident that happened in 2016 at a mansion that had been widely advertised for rent on AirBnB and other places.
The renter told the owner he was having a college reunion, although he actually intended to host a pool party. The party was a commercial enterprise featuring plenty of girls and “invited” men. The advertised event had at least three DJs there for the party.
Over 100 people — including the victim — came to the party. News reports are unclear about the exact circumstances, but the victim ended up shot in the chest.
The victim’s mother filed a lawsuit against the homeowner, the party’s organizer and several other unnamed people (as “placeholders” for liable parties that have yet to be identified. The victim’s survivors are asking for $2 million in damages.
Interestingly, the city of Lynnfield did stop the homeowner from renting out his property in the future. The city claims that renting the property is in violation of zoning regulations. Sadly, the shooter who caused the victim’s death is unknown, and the host of the party has seemingly vanished.
In cases like this, there are many parties who could be to blame for the death of an individual. If something like this happens to someone in your family, it may be wise to talk to an experienced attorney about the possibility of a claim. As this case shows, it can be possible to press a wrongful death claim against more than one party — even when not all those parties have been identified.