Disclosure: Meyers Personal Injury Law represents victims in negligent security matters and is involved in litigation related to this incident. This article is intended solely as an educational discussion of negligent security principles and event venue safety concerns. We do not offer opinions regarding the pending litigation or the merits of any claims.
Recent criminal proceedings have brought renewed attention to the tragic shooting that occurred during a Dec. 20 quinceañera celebration at Lara’s Event Center in Smyrna, Tennessee.
According to publicly reported information, 18-year-old Gerardo Nayar Perez Santacruz was killed and another teenager suffered serious injuries during the incident. News reports have also highlighted recent court rulings in the criminal prosecution of the accused individual, 17-year-old Alexis Prieto-Portillo, who will now be tried as an adult for charges that include first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.
While the criminal case continues to move through the court system, the incident has sparked broader conversations about safety at event venues, foreseeable risks, and the steps property owners may take to help protect guests during large gatherings.
As the founding attorney of Meyers Personal Injury Law, I’ve spent years handling negligent security claims involving apartment complexes, hotels, businesses, event venues, and other properties where inadequate security measures may contribute to serious injuries. My team regularly investigates questions involving foreseeability, security protocols, prior incidents, and property owner responsibilities throughout Tennessee. The discussion below is intended to help readers better understand the legal principles that often arise in negligent security cases and why these matters can be far more complex than many people realize.
What Happened During the Smyrna Quinceañera Shooting?
According to reports, the shooting occurred during an altercation at a Dec. 20 quinceañera celebration at Lara’s Event Center in Smyrna. An escalating “push match” allegedly led to Prieto-Portillo pulling a gun from his waistband and shooting three times, resulting in the death of one teenager and serious injuries to another victim.
The case has continued to receive public attention following recent criminal proceedings. A juvenile court judge ruled the accused individual, who is 17, should be transferred to adult court, allowing prosecutors to pursue adult criminal charges. The suspect’s bond has been set at $800K, and news coverage has also reported that the accused was allegedly on house arrest at the time of the incident.
Several factors have contributed to the widespread attention surrounding the case. First, the incident involved teenage victims attending what was intended to be a family celebration. Second, the shooting occurred at a private event venue where guests generally expect a safe environment. Finally, the case has become part of a larger conversation regarding safety planning at large gatherings and community events.
As with any criminal matter, the accused remains entitled to due process, and the criminal case will ultimately determine whether criminal liability exists. But this tragedy has generated significant discussion throughout Rutherford County regarding youth violence, public safety, and the responsibilities of those involved in organizing and hosting large events.
Why Incidents Like This Often Raise Questions About Security
Whenever a violent incident occurs at a private property, people naturally begin asking how it happened and whether anything could have been done to prevent it.
As a negligent security attorney, these are often the same questions I begin asking when evaluating a case. They’re especially common when violence occurs at a venue specifically designed to host large gatherings. Guests attending weddings, quinceañeras, graduation parties, corporate functions, and other celebrations generally expect organizers and property owners to take reasonable steps to maintain a safe environment.
That does not mean every criminal act is preventable. Nor does it mean property owners can predict every dangerous situation before it occurs.
However, incidents involving violence often lead me to examine issues such as access control, crowd management, security staffing, surveillance systems, emergency response planning, and whether appropriate precautions were in place based on the circumstances. These are the types of issues that frequently become central to negligent security investigations.
Security Challenges That Event Venues Often Face
In my experience, large gatherings create unique circumstances that can present security concerns even when events begin without problems.
Guests may arrive and leave throughout the evening. Individuals who were not invited may attempt to enter the property. Disputes can develop unexpectedly. Parking lots and outdoor areas may become difficult to monitor. As attendance increases, it can become more challenging for venue staff to identify developing problems before they escalate.
When my team evaluates security practices at event venues, common areas of focus often include:
- Entry and exit controls
- Guest screening procedures
- Security staffing levels
- Surveillance camera coverage
- Parking lot monitoring
- Staff training
- Emergency response procedures
- Communication protocols during disturbances
First and foremost, cameras are one of the first things we look at when evaluating a venue’s security after an incident. With an event center, apartment complex, or other building, having security is not only to capture events, it’s to deter bad behavior and let people know they are being watched.
The appropriate security measures for any particular event depend on numerous factors, including attendance, venue layout, event history, and other circumstances unique to the property. Access points can become an important consideration depending on the size and nature of the gathering, and records of past incidents can sometimes reveal potentially negligent patterns that deserve closer examination.
Security Concerns That Can Arise During Private Events
One misconception I frequently encounter is the belief that negligent security cases only arise when a property has no security measures whatsoever.
In reality, many cases involve properties that had some security procedures in place but failed to adapt those measures to foreseeable risks.
Even events that begin without problems can face unexpected challenges, including:
- Uninvited guests
- Escalating disputes or altercations
- Alcohol-related disturbances
- Weapons entering the property
- Insufficient staffing for crowd size
- Inadequate monitoring of outdoor gathering areas
The most common issue is not usually the complete absence of security but rather the failure to recognize and respond to foreseeable risks. Over and over, cases involve things like inadequate staffing, poor lighting, broken access controls, malfunctioning cameras, lack of patrols, or failure to address prior incidents. Many venues have some security measures in place, but they haven’t adjusted them to the actual risks associated with the property, its location, or its history of crime.
There’s another pattern I see repeatedly that doesn’t get enough attention: documentation failures. A venue will claim it takes security seriously, but when we pull the records, there’s little or no evidence of inspections, training, incident reviews, or corrective action after prior problems. The gap between what a venue says it does and what the records actually show is often where the case gets made.
The Importance of Emergency Response Planning
When people think about security, they often focus on prevention. In my experience, response planning can be just as important.
Questions I often examine include:
- How are staff trained to respond?
- Who communicates with law enforcement?
- What procedures exist for evacuations?
- How quickly can emergency responders access the property?
- How are guests notified during an emergency?
While everyone hopes these plans never need to be used, large gatherings often require preparation for situations organizers hope will never occur.
When Can Violent Incidents Lead to Negligent Security Claims?
One of the most common questions I receive is whether a violent crime automatically creates liability for a property owner. The answer is no.
Negligent security is a form of premises liability law. Property owners and operators may have legal responsibilities to take reasonable measures to help maintain safe premises under certain circumstances. Whether those obligations exist – and whether they were met – depends on the specific facts of each case.
Importantly, not every criminal act automatically creates liability for a property owner.
Understanding Foreseeability in Plain English
One of the concepts I spend the most time explaining to clients is foreseeability.
Many people assume foreseeability means someone knew the exact crime was going to happen. That’s usually not how negligent security cases work. Instead, foreseeability means that there were warning signs that something like it could happen.
When my team investigates negligent security claims, we often examine whether prior incidents, known risks, crime patterns, security complaints, or other warning signs may have placed a property owner on notice of potential dangers.
The focus is often not on predicting the exact event that occurred but whether reasonable precautions may have been warranted under the circumstances.
Questions That Often Arise After a Violent Incident at a Venue
Every negligent security investigation is different, but there are certain questions I routinely ask when evaluating these cases.
- Were reasonable security measures in place?
- Were known risks properly addressed?
- Were security policies followed?
- Had similar incidents occurred previously?
- Were staffing levels adequate?
- Were surveillance systems functioning properly?
- Could additional precautions have reduced the likelihood of harm?
One of the most important questions is often surprisingly simple: What did the property owner know prior to this incident, and what did they do with that knowledge?
The answer frequently becomes a central issue in negligent security litigation.
One distinction that matters a great deal in these cases is whether a venue had no security plan at all versus whether it had a plan it failed to follow. When a venue has a written security plan and doesn’t follow it, that creates a particular problem. The plan itself becomes evidence of what the venue believed was necessary. If staffing levels were lower than the plan required, if patrols were skipped, if gates were left unsecured, plaintiffs will point to that gap between policy and practice as evidence that the venue failed to take the very precautions it knew were needed.
Criminal Cases and Civil Cases Are Different
One thing I frequently explain to families is that criminal cases and civil cases serve very different purposes.
A criminal case focuses on whether an accused individual violated criminal law.
A civil case may involve separate questions regarding negligence, damages, and whether other parties may bear responsibility under applicable legal standards.
For example: if a person at an apartment complex is shot and killed by an individual, that shooter will face criminal charges. However, the apartment complex could also face a civil lawsuit based on their negligence to prevent the shooting if they had knowledge or signs it was reasonably going to happen based on prior incidents.
The existence of criminal charges does not automatically determine whether civil liability exists, just as the absence of criminal charges does not automatically eliminate potential civil claims.
How Families Often Seek Answers After Serious Acts of Violence
When families contact my office after a violent incident, the initial questions are often driven by grief, confusion, and frustration.
Common questions include:
- How could this happen?
- Who is responsible?
- Why wasn’t there security?
- Why wasn’t my loved one protected?
- Can we get answers?
- Can someone be held accountable?
Over time, additional questions frequently emerge:
- Has something similar happened before?
- What security procedures existed?
- Were those procedures followed?
- What records, videos, or reports exist?
- Were there warning signs that were ignored?
In many cases, answering these questions becomes an important part of helping families understand what happened and whether additional investigation may be warranted.
Learning More About Negligent Security Claims
Over the years, I’ve seen how complex negligent security cases can become. Questions involving foreseeability, prior incidents, security practices, and property owner responsibilities are rarely straightforward, and every case must be evaluated on its own facts.
At Meyers Personal Injury Law, my team and I represent victims and families in negligent security matters throughout Tennessee. We regularly investigate incidents involving apartment complexes, hotels, event venues, parking facilities, bars, and other properties where questions regarding security measures may arise.
If you’d like to learn more about negligent security claims, I encourage you to visit our negligent security page or contact our office for additional information.