COLLIERVILLE, Tenn. — A Kroger employee who was shot the day a gunman opened fire inside of a Collierville grocery store is suing the company for a total of $10 million.
According to a lawsuit, Mariko Jenkins worked at the Collierville Kroger when a recently fired employee of a contracted sushi company inside of the store began shooting, injuring 15 people and killing Olivia King. Authorities said the shooter then shot and killed himself.
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The lawsuit claims that Kroger and Snowfox, the contracted sushi company inside of Kroger, “knew or should have known that (the shooter) presented a danger” after he was fired.
The court documents claim that the shooter had a history of being confrontational towards employees and shoppers, one such incident resulting in his firing that fateful day on September 23, 2021.
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Authorities said that the fired employee left Kroger and then returned with a gun, leading up to the deadly mass shooting.
According to Jenkins’ lawsuit, “At no time did any Defendant warn of or otherwise take reasonable action to prevent (the shooter) from causing or mitigating his ability to cause such harm when they had the means, ability and reasonable constructive and/or actual notice to do so.”.
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The lawsuit also alleges oversights in the hiring process. The shooter was the independent franchise owner for the Snowfox sushi distributor that was set up inside of Kroger at 240 New Byhalia Road in Collierville.
“Defendants by and through its agents, servants and employees, through investigation and background examination, knew or should have known of Thang’s dangerous propensities as an unfit employee/franchisee,” the lawsuit read. “Defendants failed to use reasonable care in investigating, recruiting, and hiring Thang and failed to provide adequate warning to Plaintiff.”
Jenkins is seeking $5 million in compensatory damages and another $5 million in punitive damages.
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FOX13 reached out to Kroger for comment on the lawsuit.
Kroger responded, “No comment. Thank you. We cannot comment on any legal action.”
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