Mother of an El Paso shooting victim becomes latest to sue Walmart over lack of security

The mother of a man killed in the Aug. 3 mass shooting at the Cielo Vista Walmart store has joined a lawsuit against the retail giant contending her son died as a result of poor security at the store.

The legal action on behalf of deceased El Paso residents Leonardo Campos and his wife, Maribel Hernandez, is now the second legal filing in which Walmart is blamed by victims for security lapses prior to the gunman’s attack.

“Wal-Mart failed to live up to its legal duty because it did not employ security guards to patrol the store among other security measures. The El Paso Wal-Mart location where the shootings occurred does not appear to have had any armed guards for security, although a number of other Wal-Marts around the country do,” said a statement issued Tuesday by the Zambrano Law Firm of McAllen, which represents the Campos family.

Campos, 41, and Hernandez, 56, had just dropped off their dog at the groomers before heading to Walmart on that Saturday morning when the gunman struck and shot them both dead.

Another couple who were wounded but survived the attack, Jessica and Guillermo Garcia, filed the original lawsuit last month. They were the first to allege that Walmart failed to provide adequate security at the Cielo Vista store.

Lawyers representing the Garcias recently examined the store site as part of that lawsuit.

Walmart responded on Tuesday to the new court filing, which occurred on Monday, with the following statement: “We will never forget this tragic event, and our condolences continue to go out to everyone who was affected. Safety is a top priority, and we care deeply about our associates and customers. We will respond as appropriate with the court.”