When a Hotel Goes from Strip to Scratch: MGM’s Legal Throw in the Towel
Picture this: a calm, sun‑baked night in Las Vegas turns into a scene straight out of a thriller. It’s the Mandalay Bay resort, the place that hosts the world’s biggest music festivals, and suddenly, a 64‑year‑old gun‑slinger named Stephen Paddock decides that the 32nd floor is the best spot for a surprise fireworks show.
Why MGM’s New Move Feels Like a Bad Punchline
MGM Resorts, the same company that owns the famous property where the October gunfire took 58 lives, has filed a lawsuit. But hear this: it’s not looking for damages. It’s looking for a way to get roughly 1,000 plaintiffs — the survivors and families of the victims — to drop their cases against the hotel.
In rock‑solid legalese, MGM says they want the lawsuits out because the hotel isn’t liable. The company dropped the suit in both Nevada and a federal court in Los Angeles on Friday.
- Who is the villain? The “victims” (about 2,500 people), who are suing MGM or threatening to do so.
- Why say it’s “not liable”? MGM leans on a post‑September 11 law called the Safety Act, arguing that it helped fancy up anti‑terror tech and that an external security firm, CSC, was already cleared by the Department of Homeland Security.
- CSC’s shield? According to MGM, they handed over security to CSC, so the hotel (and the concert organizers) can’t be held responsible.
Voices From the Rubble: “We’re Not Getting a Free Pass”
A group called Route 91 Strong slammed MGM’s move, calling it “revictimizing” the folks who survived the shooting — many of whom now wrestle with PTSD, job loss, or are on suicide watch.
Attorney Robert Eglet representing a victim expressed that he’s never seen a defendant act so “reprehensible.” Eglet argued that CSC’s shield under the Safety Act doesn’t bother the hotel, because CSC was never on the ground that night or for the days leading up to the concert.
And don’t forget the radio’d outburst of Jo Ann Smith — an employee of a security firm in Las Vegas. She tweeted, “This is just OUTRAGEOUS & WRONG,” and joined a chorus of angry voices.
The Bottom Line: Who Holds the Keys?
At its core, this legal clash is about who owns responsibility for a horror that took 58 lives and hundreds more injured. MGM is fighting back by insisting that they’re not the ones to blame because the security firm was approved by Homeland Security. It’s a high‑stakes tug‑of‑war that’s sure to keep headlines buzzing.
Only time will tell if the lawsuits die as expected or if the courts will pick a different spin. For now, many fans of good justice are keeping their eyes on the scoreboard.
