Independence Center shooting lawsuit settled

Two people injured in a 2012 Independence Center shooting have settled a civil lawsuit against the mall’s operators.

Daniel Baylard, a Blue Springs lawyer representing Rochelle Moore and Dilon Yates, said he could not disclose the settlement amount.

“The parties are looking forward to moving on,” Baylard said.

The lawsuit filed in 2013 accused the Simon Property Group, which operates the mall, of failing to have adequately trained security officers. It also claimed that one security guard hid in a department store clothing rack, and that Independence police officers arrived at the scene before any security officers.

A lawyer representing the Simon Property Group could not be reached for comment.

Moore and Yates have not dropped claims against the convicted shooter, Eric Bratton, who is serving a 64-year prison sentence for two counts each of assault and armed criminal action.

The plaintiffs still could proceed with an April 20 civil trial against Bratton but they remain undecided, Baylard said. It’s unclear, he said, what assets Bratton would have.

The Saturday afternoon shooting in January 2012 sent shoppers and employees sprinting for safety. Police from several jurisdictions responded and shut down the mall for several hours.

According to trial testimony, as Yates and Moore entered the mall, Yates got into a confrontation with Bratton, who pulled a .45-caliber handgun from his waistband and fired three shots. One bullet hit Yates in the leg; another struck Moore’s foot.

This story was originally published March 23, 2015 at 2:57 PM with the headline "Independence Center shooting lawsuit settled."