CLEVELAND — Attorneys representing the family of a 3-year-old boy that was killed outside of a North Olmsted Giant Eagle supermarket claim the company and several managers were negligent in providing security to customers in a newly filed federal civil lawsuit.
Margot Wood, 38, and her son, 3-year-old Julian Wood, were stabbed outside of the Giant Eagle location on Lorain Road on June 3 of this year. While Julian died from his injuries. Margot was severely injured, according to the lawsuit.
In the lawsuit, attorneys for the Wood family claim that the company and upper management were aware that shootings and violent attacks were repeatedly happening "in big-box stores such as supermarkets generally, Giant Eagle supermarkets specifically and the North Olmsted Giant Eagle supermarket."
Documents show the attorneys argue that the company prioritized profit over the safety of customers following a series of violent attacks including multiple shootings.
The lawsuit highlights an incident in June 2023 where an armed gunman walked into the same North Olmsted Giant Eagle location and murdered an employee. Attorneys claim that just a few months later, an armed gunman walked into another location near Columbus and shot a customer.
Attorneys claim that the company did not place armed security at the North Olmsted location until there was public outcry and media scrutiny following the shootings. The lawsuit also noted that Giant Eagle removed the security in North Olmsted a few months after the June 2023 murder.
The accused killer of Julian Wood, Bianca Ellis, was deemed incompetent to stand trial in September.
The attorneys representing Julian Wood’s father, Jared Wood, and mother, Margot Wood, claimed that Ellis walked past multiple Giant Eagle employees at the customer service desk and walked around customers at the self-checkout scan.
The lawsuit argues that if Giant Eagle employees had properly monitored the surveillance cameras inside of the store, they would have been able to see Ellis walking into the store with what they claim was a 10-inch knife.
Attorneys have requested a trial by jury to determine damages.
3News reached out to Giant Eagle for reaction and received the following statement:
“Our thoughts continue to be with the Wood family as we cooperate with authorities investigating this tragic and random act of violence. That said, we are unable to comment on pending litigation.”