DOCUMENTS: Property Owner's Negligence Led To Curtis Student's Death, Suit Alleges

Bill Shirley III should never have been allowed into the motorcycle club where he was shot multiple times in the back Aug. 27, according to a complaint

The 17-year-old Curtis student and active member of University Place-based Peace Out was allowed into the 21-and-over club at 1651 Center Street in Tacoma, whose owner is listed as Bill's Towing & Garage in court documents.

Even though he was there to help a friend's mother, argues her son should never have been allowed into the business, which was operating illegally as a nightclub:

The defendent knew of these illegal operations within its premises; however, took no action to circumvent the activity, instead simply collected profits. The above mentioned negligence directly and proximately led to the death of Billy Shirley III.

The complaint also alleges that the motorcyle club moved to another location at 23rd and Fawcett in Tacoma following Shirley's death, where another individual was shot and killed Sunday.

But the property owner on Center Street, Tom Lomis, told The News Tribune that he didn't know the motorcycle club's parties were taking place. He says he leased the space to a man for storage and that's all.

He evicted the tenant in August. He had received a report of a gang fight and parties from neighbors, he told the newspaper.

The motorycle club destroyed the storage space, which had a makeshift bar and an "overwhelming" stench from a mixture of alcohol and lack of proper plumbing, according to the newspaper. After gutting the building, he's now leasing the space to another tenant.

(Click on the media gallery to read the entire complaint)