Myrtle Beach man shot by his upstairs neighbor while sitting at home files lawsuit
A Myrtle Beach resident was sitting in his apartment in 2018 when he heard a loud bang then realized he was shot in the leg. Now, he is suing the apartment complex as well as the person who pulled the trigger.
Lawrence Blount filed a lawsuit in Horry County court last week and named the Quail Marsh Apartments, Nasir Johnson, Aaron Fabbian, Bridget Fabbian, Jazmine Shade Martin, Larry Merriweather as defendants.
On January 31, 2018, Blount was sitting in his apartment while Johnson and Martin were in an apartment above his. The Fabbians owned the apartment. Johnson fired a semi-automatic weapon at the floor and Blount heard a “loud bang,” the suit states.
A bullet came through the ceiling into Blount’s apartment and hit him in the thigh, the suit states.
Blount stated he left the apartment and saw Johnson fleeing from the area.
Myrtle Beach police responded to the Greens Boulevard complex and found Blount, who was 63-years-old at the time of the shooting, sprawled out in the grass outside, as Martin applied pressure to the bullet wound, according to an incident report.
Police later determined the shooting to be an accidental discharge, but still charged Johnson.
The lawsuit claims Martin and Johnson, along with the owners of their apartment, were negligent because they disregarded Blount’s safety. The suit also states that Johnson was negligent because he fired a gun inside a home and had a weapon despite being a convicted criminal.
Blount claims Martin was negligent because she let Johnson in her apartment, despite knowing he was a danger to others.
The lawsuit asks for an unspecified amount of money. Officials from the Quail Marsh Apartments did not respond in time for this report.
This story was originally published January 10, 2021 at 10:00 AM.
