LOS ANGELES – Relatives of a 15-year-old boy who was shot in an arm at Highland High School in Palmdale filed a lawsuit on his behalf against the Antelope Valley Union High School District Friday, claiming lax security at the school contributed to the shooting.
Robert Ruiz Dominguez was shot around 7 a.m. May 11 at the school in the 39000 block of 25th Street West. The suspect, a 14-year-old boy described as a former student at the school, was arrested a short time later at a nearby Vons grocery store. The SKS semiautomatic rifle used in the shooting was found abandoned in a nearby field.
The negligence suit was filed Aug. 2 in Los Angeles Superior Court and seeks unspecified damages.
Betsy Sanchez, a district spokeswoman, was on vacation and could not be immediately reached. The district previously issued a statement saying it was thankful no lives were lost and that the student is recovering.
“That said, we acknowledge that the child and his family have been through a traumatic experience and we have offered them our support since the day of the incident and will continue to do so,” according to the district. “We also continue to work with our law enforcement partners to fortify our safety protocols across all our schools.”
Dominguez talked about his ordeal during a news conference in May.
“When I go to school, I would think that I’d be safe and I wouldn’t really expect myself to get shot,” the boy said at the Woodland Hills office of his attorney, Bradley Gage. “But now that I did get shot, I don’t feel like going to any other school, ’cause it happened at one school, it could happen at another.”
Gage said the school did not have a safety plan in place, and the school resource officer assigned to the campus doesn’t start working until 9 a.m., even though students begin arriving at the campus around 6:20 a.m.
But in a letter to district parents in May, AVUHSD Superintendent David Vierra said the district is “continuously reviewing our safety protocols,” and said recent “safety walks” of campuses helped identify potential improvements that will be made at various schools. Those upgrades “include enhanced fencing, additional security personnel, updated surveillance cameras, front entrance modifications and an online visitor entrance systems.”
“Each of our schools has a dedicated school deputy who is on campus each day,” Vierra wrote. “We believe this is important in supporting our security staff. We also have various drills and training for students and staff throughout the school year, and we continue to underscore the importance of vigilance through `See Something, Say Something.’ ”
Previous related stories:
Student wounded in Palmdale school shooting files claim against District
14-year-old boy charged in shooting at Highland High School
Support personnel to greet Palmdale students returning to shooting site
Student shot, wounded at Highland High School; suspect in custody
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FDR says
All of the parents should sue each other for being bad parents. And I mean really bad parents.
Laughing says
Except it is hard to judge a parent by a teen’s behavior.
Teens often act out to be ‘different’ than their parent.
They are coming into their own, making decisions for themselves.
TIRED OF WORTHLESS HUMANS says
This is such crap. The attorney in this lawsuit is pathetic as well as the family. Low life scum taking advantage of this f#$ked up system. Suprised they dont dont blame the gun manufacturer, the bullet manufacturer, the hospital, and the cops fot the hell of it. I hope karma steps in and gives this family what it really deserves. Which is jack $#/t. But of course im sure they’ll get something. Pathetic humans.
Double Dee says
HES GONNA GET THAT MONEYYYYY LMFAO AND YOU MAD?? HE GOT SHOT [removed] my [removed] would get money too. LMFAO WTF
Rochelle says
He should be happy they didn’t kill him maybe he should stop being a bully cause he got a second chance. And now he wants money smh.
Lol says
How do you know he was the bully?? Lol idiot
Ts says
This kid was a bully. They need to expose the truth and the shooters family needs to file a suit against them for their kid bullying the kid to the point that he thought this was his only option.
Juan Carlos says
Bradley Gage (low budget unsuccessful attorney) + Dominguez (despicable degenerate family) + AVUHSD (pushover school districts) = problem with America
Unhappy AVE resident says
Wow..I don’t condone violence as a way to stop it, but, I hope this kid nor his family get a single dime.your a bully. You should be brought up on assault charges after what you have put this kid through to act out in this way. And I blame the school because they do overlook this stuff. School is suppose to be a safe zone. To learn. To play sports to represent. Instead teachers are putting up with unruly kids and parents who ruin it for others. Lack of money for a proper education. School and programs should never see a money loss. Our priorities are backwards. We need to focus more on education, solving the homeless issue, stopping animal and child abuse and less on other items like overpaid athletes, illegal immigration,. America needs to come first. We all bleed red. Can’t we learn to get along?
Darius White says
I’m not understanding this. In May, the student who was injured filed a claim against the district. Now, over 2 months later, his relatives are filing s claim against the district? Because an attorney spoke on the student’s behalf in May, apparently this is a totally separate claim?
Alexis says
This article appears to be the same as the May 2018 article. Read the previous related article, (student wounded in Palmdale school shooting files claim against district). It also says family.
Kay says
A claim is the step you have to take before filing a lawsuit. The family filed a claim in May and now the road is cleared for them to filed the actual lawsuit. Or that’s what I was told anyway…
John W says
Jimmy, you’re a racist piece of human garbage.
In other words, a typical AV resident. Stay in the AV, the outside world isn’t safe for you.
TBundy says
John W The race card is worn out.
Unless you’re talking about the hatred between blacks and Mexicans
I will agree however the Antelope Valley is one hell of a [removed]
Mark says
This was not a school shooting. It was a shooting at a school. this kid was the target and before the district pays out any kind of money, I would hope the real reason for him being shot comes out. I bet there is some prior history between him and the kid that shot him. either way, gun violence is not the solution.
JohnM says
Rumor from district employees is that the kid that was shot was bullying the kid with the SKS. Perhaps violence isn’t the solution but violence has been used in the past and it will be used in the future.
Mark says
In the past, kids would get in a fist fight and go on their merry way. using a gun is not the correct way to solve a bulling problem. If this kid was being a bully to the other kid, then he created the reason for the retaliation. I feel more for the kids that were at school and due to no fault of their own, they were the victims of a couple of not so bright kids.
The anti-bully says
“Bullying” is too mild of a word and makes it sound like the victim was just taunted and called a few names and that’s why its not taken seriously. If someone hits a kid it should be assault, if something is taken from the victim it should be a strong-arm robbery. Lets stop calling it “bullying” just because kids are involved.
Rob says
Bullying is the way of life in Rexville. Rex and Marv are the leaders and they have two disciples in Hoffbauer and Bishop in Palmdale.
[removed] says
Auston Bishop has a smart mouth but he is too wimppy to be called a actual bully. This guy would get his ass beat down. Little man attitude till he is challenged.
Tom says
Just like insurance companies do there should be a maximum payout for issues. A through and through the arm with no loss of limbs I say gets $10,000 and not one cent more. There goes all our schools athletic programs after the district settles with this greedy family
John says
Robert Ruiz Dominguez you are a p.o.s. bully. It’s to bad that bullet didn’t kill you.
I hope you get the living crap beat out of you. You need it.
Jenn says
You can’t say that. I personally know a student who still haves nightmares of that day. And they are afraid to go back to school. And they are Afro American
John says
If I was a student of this crap high school I’d never go back.
Student4Life says
Who needs high school anyway, John. Rex never graduated and look how he turned out?
On second thought, finish school.
David G says
Who cares if the boy got shot? His family thinks they are getting a jackpot…and they probably will….
David G says
You are exactly right…Larry Parker and his ambulance chasing crowd of race hustlers is out to make a buck. And the pacified [removed] with the school district will pay up pronto.