LV bar, radio station sued again over 1999 shooting

Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2001 | 11 a.m.

Two guests of a Christmas party held in 1999 by radio station KCEP 88.1 FM at the Carribean Cabana bar in Las Vegas sued the public radio station, a security firm and three owners of the bar, alleging they were injured by gunfire because of a lack of adequate security.

Four people were wounded on Dec. 26, 1999, after an unidentified gunman, who was said by police to have been in an argument with someone inside the bar, fired shots at several people. Police said there were a couple of hundred people in the bar.

Las Vegas residents Yerie Williams, who alleged she was shot in her thigh, and Derrick Hampton, who said he was shot in his forearm, filed a lawsuit in Clark County District Court alleging they were injured because the defendants' security personnel were negligent.

The defendants include the Economic Opportunity Board of Clark County, owner of KCEP; GSI Security Inc., TLC Gaming Inc., Port Tack Inc., and Carribean Cabana LLC.

Rick Parnell, Carribean Cabana's attorney, disputed the charges. "The radio station had hired an independent security firm, and they had 12 to 16 security people on the inside and outside. Additionally there were security people at the door, who were checking people as they came in."

"They had hand-held metal detectors. But a number of people were wearing jewelry, so they were getting a lot of false alarms and they probably didn't want to be too invasive in their searches," he said.

The Economic Opportunity Board declined comment.

Two other Clark County residents, Leroy Davis and Keith Bowen, said they were also hit by the random gunfire and in May sued another Carribean Cabana owner, Kostelecky Investment Group, KCEP and the Economic Opportunity Board.