The family of an Eastern Market shooting victim who was gunned down in September 2024 while trying to break up a fight at a Detroit Lions’ tailgate is suing the market, the security company it hired, and an Indiana-based event group, claiming negligence.
The shooting that killed Rayshawn Palmer, also known as Rayshawn Bryant, could have been prevented, the lawsuit argues. It alleges that Eastern Market, Shield Security, and Bullseye Event Group knew about a history of fights and violence at such events but did not do enough to prevent the tragedy, including adequately monitoring the tailgate, failing to intervene and de-escalate the fight that led to the shooting, and failing to properly train security officers.
The lawsuit, which was filed July 31 in Wayne County Circuit Court, did mention specific past incidents of violence.
Rayshawn Bryant pictured to the right of his cousin, Richard Malone, in April 2024. Bryant, 40, of Detroit was one of two people fatally shot during a Detroit Lions tailgate at Eastern Market on September 15, 2024, according to Malone.
Eastern Market is a popular tailgate destination for Detroit Lions fans. Hundreds flock to the market during home games. On Sept. 15, 2024, the day of the shooting, the Lions hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Palmer, 40, a loyal fan, had been at the Lions VIP Tailgate hosted by Bullseye Event Group, the lawsuit states. But by 4:30 p.m., an ongoing fight between two men in the market’s open-air shed known as Shed 6 had escalated and resulted in gunfire.
A statement follows from Morgan & Morgan founder John Morgan and attorney David Stechow: “Rayshawn Palmer’s six children will now go through life without their father because of an act of violence that we believe was preventable,” attorneys John Morgan and David Stechow said in a statement. “Mr. Palmer’s family has been absolutely devastated and will never be made whole again, but they are seeking justice and accountability in hopes that no one else has to endure the type of loss that they have.”
Eastern Market declined comment, “as it is a legal matter,” said Katy Trudeau, the market’s president and CEO. Shield Security didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Kyle Kinnett, the Bullseye Event Group’s CEO, said, “We got absolutely nothing to do with that.”
The group rents out one of Eastern Market’s indoor sheds for its Lions VIP tailgate, Kinnett said. It begins three hours before the game and ends at kickoff, which was 1 p.m. the day of the shooting. Inside the building, Kinnett said they take security “very seriously.”
“I don’t know a whole lot about what happened, but I just know it was not inside our building and it was after our hours,” Kinnett said.
What had happened, according to Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, was that a man named Jalen Welch, 25, walked into the argument holding a pistol in a threatening manner and approached the shooter, described as a man from Oak Park. The shooter then pulled out his weapon and shot Welch in the front of his head, killing him.
But the bullet exited Welch’s head, and that same bullet hit Palmer, a bystander who was attempting to act as a peacemaker, Worthy said. Palmer’s cousin, who was with him at the tailgate, also said Palmer had nothing to do with the fight and didn’t know the men, either.
Worthy declined to charge the shooter, arguing the shooting was self-defense.
Andrea Sahouri covers criminal justice for the Detroit Free Press. Contact her at asahouri@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Family of Lions tailgate shooting victim sues Eastern Market