New lawsuits weighed against Walmart, 8Chan website

Emily Toles

The family of Angelina Englisbee, a woman killed in the Aug. 3 Walmart mass shooting has filed a lawsuit against the suspected shooter, his family and the website 8chan where police believe he posted a racist, hate-filled rant minutes before allegedly killing 22 people.

The lawsuit names the shooter’s parents John Bryan and Lori Lynn Crusius, his grandparents Larry P. and Cynthia B. Brown and three individuals associated with 8chan as responsible for Patrick Crusius’ actions on Aug. 3. The three individuals’ named are James A. Watkins, Matthew Prince and Fredrick Brennan.

This is the first lawsuit to be filed against Crusius’ parents and grandparents or the 8chan website. The petition also names “John Does 1 through Unknown” as defendants.

James Scherr, the representative for the Englisbee family, said he has subpoenaed Crusius’ computer and cellphone in order to identify who Crusius was in communication with leading up to the shooting.

According to a news release, Scherr said “the (Englisbee) family seeks this lawsuit to stop the hate, to send a message to people who are going to travel 600 miles or 1 mile to injure, maim or kill someone because of their national origin, their background, their religion, whatever the case may be, just because they live hate.”

The petition also states Crusius’ parents and grandparents, with whom he was living at the time of the shooting, were careless “in fostering an environment which encouraged hate crimes” and “in allowing weapons in the home where Crusius resides, despite knowing of his dangerous propensities.”

Chris Ayres, the attorney representing the Crusius family, said he did not have a comment at the time the lawsuit was filed.