Casino hit with lawsuit in gangs battle

Erica Johnson

Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2004 | 9:31 a.m.

A lawsuit filed last week in District Court claims an Arizona couple suffered emotional distress and physical harm when they witnessed a gun battle between rival motorcycle gangs at a Laughlin casino.

The suit, filed by attorney E. Brent Bryson on behalf of Kristi Schoenleber and Allen Hendrickson, claims Harrah's Laughlin was negligent when it allowed violence between the Hells Angels and Mongols motorcycle gangs to erupt into a gun battle.

A federal indictment unsealed in December charged 42 members of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang in connection with the melee that killed three people.

According to the lawsuit, Schoenleber and Hendrickson witnessed at least two of those killings as "the whole casino erupted in violent pandemonium during the annual Laughlin River Run."

"As (Schoenleber) turned to watch the gang member walk by, the gang member put a gun to the base of a rival gang members head and pulled the trigger," the suit states.

"A second gang member was shot approximately six to eight feet away from (Hendrickson), which resulted in the left side of Allen's face, neck, shoulder, torso and leg being covered heavily with blood and brain matter.

The suit claims the casino could have easily prevented the melee and that casino officials were aware that the gang members were carrying large chains, flashlights, hammers and wrenches, which could have been easily used as weapons.

"Harrah's breached its duty of care to plaintiffs and to others by failing to make Harrah's safe and secure by creating and maintaining an inherently dangerous condition," according to the suit.