One of the men who was injured in last year’s shooting that killed Grammy-nominated rapper Takeoff is suing the venue where the deadly shooting took place because of an insufficient security presence and emergency response.
The man behind the suit, Joshua Washington, was the personal assistant for Takeoff’s uncle and Migos bandmate, Quavo. Washington is suing 810 Billiards & Bowling Houston, a bowling alley in downtown Houston that was the venue for a private party where Takeoff was gunned down on Nov. 1, 2022.
Both Takeoff and Quavo, alongside other artists, popular athletes and public figures, were attending an event hosted by J. Prince Jr., son of Rap-A-Lot founder J. Prince.
Related: Remembering Takeoff: 5 Things to Know About the Atlanta Rap Star Shot and Killed at 28
The legal complaint Washington filed claims that the defendants were informed and aware that the party would host celebrities and draw a large crowd, so it would require extra security. 810 Houston guaranteed that basic security precautions would be taken throughout the course of the party to keep attendees safe, but Washington witnessed little follow-through when the shooting took place.
“There was no one,” Washington said. “The bullets started flying, and no one came to help. There were no security guards trying to stop the shooting, no one to help those of us who were hurt. No one at all. They just left us there to die.”
Washington recounts how he, Takeoff and a few others were approached by a number of people just outside the venue who started arguing with them over a high-stakes dice game in which Quavo was involved.
When they walked away from the instigators, someone who was believed to be part of the dispute ran up to them from behind and started shooting.
No security personnel attempted to deter or respond to the violence or provide any assistance to Washington, Takeoff, and a woman who was shot in the head, according to the suit. Patrick Clark, 33, subsequently was arrested for the shooting and charged with Takeoff’s murder. Another person also was charged in connection to the shooting but not the murder.
Washington was shot in his right side by some stray bullets that narrowly missed his colon. In the suit, he stated that he was forced to run down three flights of stairs with his injury and make his way to a nearby hospital.
Washington is being represented by civil rights attorney Bakari Sellers and Audia Jones of the Law Office of Audia Jones. His attorneys allege that the venue, as well as its owners and property managers, failed to provide adequate security, screening, or emergency assistance either before or after the shooting.
“810 Houston was warned that they needed extra security. They knew it was a hotspot for violent crime and that an after-hours event like this could turn deadly in a second. But they ignored those warnings and now they have blood on their hands,” Sellers remarked. “This shooting was a tragedy. But it was a preventable tragedy.”
According to Jones, “They had no properly trained security personnel, adequate signage, lighting or cameras. They had no screening to keep out weapons. They didn’t even have a working metal detector. This was a powder keg of their own making, and folks like Takeoff and Joshua Washington got caught in the explosion.”
Washington seeks damages for the injuries and residual harm sustained by the shooting in the form of monetary relief that’s over $250,000 but less than $1 million. Takeoff’s mother has also filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the venue, alleging that its owners, security vendors and partners were negligent.
Atlanta Black Star reached out to 810 Houston for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.
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