The father of a young man fatally shot at an Augusta club has filed suit against the club’s owners.
Demario Tyler filed the Richmond County State Court lawsuit Jan. 10 against Benjamin Frank and Dunbar Railford Jr., owners of Club Viral at 127 Laney Walker Blvd. The lawsuit seeks damages in the Jan. 12, 2020, death of his 20-year-old son, Traquan Dashawn Salley.
A lawsuit represents only one side in a dispute. The club owners have 30 days to file a response to the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit and news reports at the time of the shooting, Salley was at Club Viral the night he and another man, Dameun Sanders, were shot. Sanders recovered, but Salley, who suffered a gunshot wound to his neck, died.
The lawsuit alleges the club owners knew of criminal activity taking place inside the club and the area around club and were negligent in managing, maintaining, inspecting and securing the site.
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Danell Sanders, 32, was initially charged with murder, but when the Richmond County grand jury indicted him in June 2021, the charges included nine counts of aggravated assault and possession of Alprazolam as well as weapon charges. One count of aggravated assault was filed for Dameum Sanders’ shooting. The other eight charges relate to seven others present at the club during the shooting. No charges in the indictment relate to Salley’s death.
An email to District Attorney Jared Williams asking about Danell Sanders’ prosecution and Salley’s death prompted an unsigned response reportedly from the district attorney’s public information officer.
The email stated: “As this matter is pending, we are not able to share case details with the media. Speaking generally, the District Attorney’s Office is under an obligation to bring cases that are supported by evidence and provable beyond a reasonable doubt. When a particular allegation falls below that standard, we charge only the counts we can prove.”
Sanders has pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against him in the indictment. He was denied bond and is awaiting trial.
Sandy Hodson is a staff reporter with The Augusta Press. Reach her at sandy@theaugustapress.com.
