The devastated parents of a recent university graduate accidentally shot by her boyfriend’s father have launched a wrongful death lawsuit as harrowing details emerged about the tragedy.
Whitney Robeson was killed by a .22 bullet from an antique revolver while it was being handled by Jeffrey Scott Towers, according to a coroner’s report and the lawsuit.
Her boyfriend Brandon, 22, was also present as Towers, 54, was showing off his gun collection at his home in Trussville, Alabama, on March 7.
The local coroner’s office called the shooting an accident at the time. Then on May 11, Towers was arrested, charged with manslaughter and subsequently released on $30,000 bail.
Now 22-year-old Whitney’s parents, Carin and Matthew Robeson, have begun a wrongful death lawsuit in Jefferson County Circuit Court alleging Towers was careless while he was showing off the firearm.
Auburn University grad Whitney died after she was hit by a .22 bullet from the Colt Navy single-action revolver, which tore into her chest – causing a fatal ‘injury to (her) left lung, heart, and aorta’, according to the county coroner’s autopsy report.
Her parents, from the Richmond area of Virginia, filed the legal action in Birmingham, Alabama, on Friday and are demanding a jury trial.
Their lawsuit says Towers was showing Whitney and Brandon ‘a collection of antique firearms in the upstairs area or attic’ at 9.30pm on March 7 at his home.
Whitney Harlow Robeson, 22, died from a single gunshot wound on March 7 at her boyfriend’s home in Trussville, Alabama
Jeffrey Scott Towers, 54, was abruptly charged with manslaughter last Monday after being arrested without incident and is now being sued by Robeson’s parents
It accuses him of failing to check if the gun was loaded when handling it near others and lacking basic firearm safety knowledge.
Towers was holding the loaded .22 caliber revolver when ‘a single shot was inadvertently discharged’ which hit Whitney ‘in the upper left side of her chest’, says the legal action.
She was taken to St Vincent’s East Hospital, where she died at 10.49pm.
Towers ‘had a duty to safely inspect and maintain any and all firearms… so as not to cause harm or death’ but ‘breached this duty by negligently failing to inspect the firearm to ensure it was not loaded prior to handling,’ the parents’ lawsuit alleges.
He showed ‘reckless indifference to the consequences and a conscious disregard for the safety of others’ it adds. He also allegedly ‘engaged in the unsafe handling of a firearm without verifying whether the weapon was loaded’.
Robeson had just embarked on her dream career as an interior design consultant with Restoration Hardware in Birmingham after graduating summa cum laude in Auburn’s College of Human Science department.
Towers’s lawyers, John Amari and Dain Stewart at Amari Law Firm have denied he was criminally responsible for Robeson’s death.
‘What happened to Ms Robeson was a tragic event,’ they said in a statement.
Robeson was visiting her boyfriend Brandon Towers (above) when she was shot
Robeson, center, had recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from Auburn University
She was planning a career in interior design. Her death was initially ruled an accident
‘While we understand that the justice system must play out, we know that the facts will show that Mr Towers has no criminal history, has been a productive and upstanding citizen for his entire life, and is not guilty of these charges.’
Robeson family lawyer Andrew Moak was quoted by TMZ saying the county DA’s office ‘determined that Mr Towers acted with criminal recklessness.’
‘Given that determination, efforts to portray Mr Towers as ‘innocent’ are not supported by the evidence in the case’.
Moak added: ‘This matter involves the tragic and unnecessary death of a 22-year-old woman whose life was cut short far too soon.
‘We remain committed to allowing the evidence, facts and legal process to speak for themselves.’
Robeson’s family paid tribute to her in a moving obituary.
‘Whitney lived with inimitable grace; keen, quiet attentiveness and loyalty; boundless generosity and an uncanny way of always knowing just what she needed to do,’ they wrote.
Robeson’s devastated parents, Carin and Matthew Robeson of Virginia, described their daughter as a gifted and compassionate young woman
Police found Robeson shot on this residential street in Trussville, Alabama. The exact address was not released, and the house above is one of many on the block
‘This marvelous, independent woman was on the cusp of her successful career in interior design: the job she had always wanted since she was a little girl watching HGTV.
‘In the precious little time she had been in that role, Whitney’s new colleagues and supervisor were instantly taken by her kindness, talent, attentiveness, and integrity.’
Robeson’s former sorority also posted a glowing tribute to her.
‘We are incredibly grateful to have shared in her friendship, and our chapter will forever cherish the memories we made together,’ the tribute said.
A new initiative, Wrapped in Whitney’s Love, has been set up to honor her memory.
It will give new mothers and their babies swaddles and other essential supplies to help them get off to a good start in life.
