Teen’s Tragic Death Sparks Lawsuit Against Robins Air Force Base
A federal lawsuit has been filed by the parents of Gabriel Stone, a 14-year-old who tragically lost his life when a concrete wall collapsed at the Robins Air Force Base in Georgia. The incident, which left Gabriel dead and injured three others, occurred on July 22 at the base’s Heritage Club pool.
The lawsuit, brought to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, aims to seek damages and bring attention to what Gabriel’s parents believe to be a preventable tragedy. Attorneys Rod Edmond and Shofaetiyah Watson of the Edmond and Lindsay law firm stated, “What happened to Gabriel was totally preventable and may well have been avoided if even the most basic of inspections were conducted over the years.”
This legal action comes shortly after the Air Force released an investigative report shedding light on the conditions that led to the wall’s collapse. According to the report, the partition wall, built in 1969, lacked proper anchoring and did not follow the Standard Building Code from that era, which would have required lateral support such as rebar anchors or vertical supports.
Although the Air Force Materiel Command suggests that there was no structural failure, it speculated that the wall fell due to some external force, ranging from light contact to multiple people climbing the wall.
The lawsuit describes how Gabriel and his friends interacted with the partition wall, leading to its eventual collapse. Gabriel was fatally injured, suffering from blunt force trauma, while another boy endured severe injuries, including five broken ribs and a punctured lung. The other two boys involved sustained minor injuries.
The complaint accuses the Air Force and those associated with the 78th Civil Engineer Squadron of negligent inspection, maintenance, and repair of the wall. The suit seeks financial damages under the Federal Tort Claims Act and Georgia law, including attorney fees and any other applicable damages.
The Department of the Air Force has not commented on the ongoing litigation. In the words of Edmond and Watson, “While nothing can bring Gabriel back, it is our hope through this litigation that Gabriel’s family will get accountability and justice and that other lives may be saved.”
For more details on the incident and investigation, visit Robins Air Force Base and Military.com.
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