Victim of 2022 Red River Ex shooting sues organizers, alleging lack of security screening

A now 18-year-old man who was shot above his left hip two years ago at one of Manitoba's main summer fairs is suing the organizers of the Red River Exhibition, among others, alleging they failed to provide security that could have prevented the shooting.

In a lawsuit filed in Manitoba Court of King's Bench on May 14, the plaintiff says he suffers from nightmares related to the June 2022 shooting, has difficulty urinating and constant burning in his legs, and is unable to do regular activities that he did before he was shot.

The shooting happened on June 20, 2022, at the annual fair on the western edge of Winnipeg. At the time, police said a 16-year-old working for an independent game operator had been shot, and three other teens — two 17-year-old boys and a 15-year-old girl — were arrested.

The victim is now suing the fair's operators — Red River Exhibition Association and North American Midway Entertainment — along with an unidentified company and two employees he worked under at a game called Pick-A-Duck during the 2022 Red River Ex.

His lawsuit alleges the defendants failed to "exercise reasonable care and skill to make the park and premises reasonably safe."

On June 20, 2022, the victim was taking an evening break when he was approached by what the suit refers to as "a person … and his gang," who were "acting in an aggressive and threatening manner," according to the lawsuit.

When the victim tried walking away from the group, one of them pulled him back and said, "I'm going to kill you today," while showing him a cross-body bag that the victim believed contained a gun, according to the lawsuit.

The 16-year-old walked back to one of the people he worked under, telling her, "I think these people are here to fight and I think they have a gun," according to the statement of claim.

She did not report the threat to security at the park or to the police, and told the victim to go back to his station and stop worrying about the group, the lawsuit says.

As the plaintiff walked toward the kiosk, one of the people in the gang pulled out a gun from his bag and shot the 16-year-old before running away, the suit said.

The victim was rushed to the hospital and underwent emergency surgery, the lawsuit says. He was hospitalized for approximately a week. 

Following the arrests in 2022, Winnipeg police said three teenagers were found in a taxi with a loaded handgun in Winnipeg's Shaughnessy Heights area, less than two hours after the shooting.

One of the 17-year-old boys was charged with aggravated assault, police said at the time. The 15-year-old girl and the other 17-year-old boy were charged with firearm and assault-related offences.

The lawsuit alleges the defendants failed to provide and maintain a metal screening detection system to prevent weapons from entering the park, and failed to immediately alert security or police when the victim was threatened. 

None of the defendants have filed a statement of defence and none of the allegations have been proven in court. 

A spokesperson from the Red River Exhibition and North American Midway Entertainment said they are aware of the lawsuit but declined to comment because the matter is before the court. 

The victim is seeking general damages and health-care costs in court, including the cost of transportation by an ambulance, the claim says. It says the victim experienced a loss of income as a result of the shooting, and is now afraid of loud noises and paranoid when he's outside in public.

Police said in a 2022 news release that an 11-year-old boy, who was a bystander, was also hit by a bullet during the shooting. He was rushed to hospital and treated for a gunshot wound to his lower body, and was later released. 

The CEO of the Red River Exhibition told CBC shortly after the shooting that the fair increased its security, from a usual weekday staff of 40 security guards to 60.

This year's edition of the Red River Ex is scheduled for the week of June 14 to 23.