A boy and a woman who were stabbed by a man with a knife he ripped out of a package on a store shelf at the Target store in downtown Los Angeles in 2022 have reached a settlement with the retail chain.
The stabbings occurred Nov. 15, 2022, at the FIGat7th shopping center shortly after 6:20 p.m. The victims were later identified as Brayden Medina Molina, then 9 years old, and flight attendant Joo Hye Song, then 24.
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Both sued Target Corp. and other entities in March 2023 and their suits were consolidated. Target was the only remaining defendant and on Wednesday -- the day before the case was scheduled to go to trial -- attorneys for the plaintiffs filed court papers with Judge Anne Hwang notifying her that the case was resolved. No terms were divulged.
David Franklin, the man who stabbed the plaintiffs, was shot and killed by a security guard. In their previous court papers, Target attorneys denied any liability on the retail giant's part and urged judgment be entered in their client's favor, but the motion was denied.
The Target attorneys also stated what happened that evening initially appeared to security to involve a petty theft. The lawyers further stated that shortly after Franklin entered the store, an employee saw that he was trying to open a package of knives. The worker, familiar with people opening packages as part of a theft, believed he was trying to steal a knife, but did not believe he was a danger to anyone and told him to pay for it, the Target lawyers stated in their court papers.
When Franklin ignored the worker, she quickly contacted the asset protection team by radio and a member of the squad, after failing to de- escalate the situation, warned guests to leave because Franklin was armed and shouting profanities, the Target lawyers further stated in their pleadings.
The asset protection team member witnessed Franklin stab Song, the second victim, according to the Target lawyers' court papers. Enedino Espinoza, the security guard contracted to work within the store, ultimately shot Franklin and the series of events from start to finish lasted about four minutes, according to the Target attorneys' court papers.
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