Man died after being shot in the face. His family blames Kansas City apartment complex
A family member found Christopher Beaugard in his final moments before dying, suffering from a gunshot wound to the face, according to court documents.
Nearly a year later, his mother has filed a lawsuit against the Canyon Creek Apartments, at East 93rd Street and Bales Ave. in Kansas City, the apartment complex where the fatal shooting occurred on Oct. 30, 2022.
Shelia Brooks, Beaugard’s mother, filed a civil case against Canyon Creek Apartments and its property owners and managers this month, seeking at least $25,000 in “damages sustained as a result of the injury to Plaintiffs and wrongful death,” according to the lawsuit filed in the Jackson County Circuit Court.
Brooks and Victor Weber, described in the filing as “next friend for the minor children,” are listed as plaintiffs in the case. Next friend is an individual who stands in court on behalf of a minor for their claim. Beaugard, 35, was the father of two children under 18 when he died, according to court documents.
The lawsuit alleges two counts of negligence and premises liability, which refers to the responsibility property owners have to those on their property. It also alleges the defendant showed negligence per se in violation of statutes and regulations, thus breaching their duty of care for residents.
Unsafe conditions, lack of security
According to the lawsuit, prior to Beaugard’s murder last October, the defendants were aware of the violence that plagued the apartment complex and that they failed to maintain safe grounds and premises, refused to provide security patrols, and failed to provide security cameras or maintain the outdoor light fixtures to supply adequate lighting.
The defendants named in the case include Landmark Realty, a company that managed the Canyon Creek Apartments; Jonathan L. Marcus, regional manager of Landmark Realty; Robert A. Imhoff, owner of Canyon Creek and Landmark Realty; and LaJeanna Hurt, Canyon Creek’s on-site manager.
Reached by telephone Friday for comment on the lawsuit, attorney Nicholas J. Porto, who represents Landmark Realty of Missouri, LLC, said, “We were just served today. We’re going to be defending the case obviously and have no comment on pending litigation.
The suit contends that the complex managers, “had the authority and responsibility to provide for the safety of tenants and invitees at the Canyon Creek Apartments at all relevant times.” It further alleges that residents and visitors had previously complained about unsafe conditions and lack of security to the apartment complex management.
The lawsuit cites data from the Kansas City Police Department showing that from 2017 to 2022, 152 violent crimes were reported at the apartment complex, including murders, sexual assaults, aggravated assaults, and robberies, as well as at least 235 property crimes, including stolen automobiles, theft from vehicles, and burglaries from apartments.
The suit, filed in early October, contends that Beaugard’s fatal shooting and other criminal activity could have been prevented.
“Defendants knew or could have known about any and all of these crimes in time to provide reasonable security measures to prevent and deter future criminal acts,” the lawsuit reads.
Under Missouri statutes, “A business has a duty to guard against criminal acts if the business knows or has reason to know that such acts are being committed or are reasonably likely to be committed in a particular area of the premises and sufficient time exists to prevent such crime or injury.”
As Beaugard was a resident of Canyon Creek Apartments, the suit alleges, “Defendants owed Mr. Beaugard a duty of care to protect him from the criminal acts of third persons.”
The plaintiffs have requested a trial by jury.
The Stars Bill Lukitsch contributed to this story.
