The mother of Deanta Dorsey, the 16-year-old shot and killed at the Popeyes in the Edmondson Village Shopping Center in 2023, has filed a lawsuit against the city, school system and the strip mall’s previous owner, alleging wrongful death.

The lawsuit filed in Baltimore City Circuit Court Wednesday says that Edmondson-Westside High School was negligent in allowing Dorsey and four other students to leave school grounds for lunch on the day of the shooting and “has a duty to provide [a] higher level of supervision.”

It also says that former shopping center owner Ira Miller was negligent in “failing to take reasonable measures to eliminate criminal activity and provide adequate security” at the shopping center. The lawsuit was filed by the Law Office of Kent L. Greenberg, who did not return calls for comment.

In addition to the high school and Miller, Baltimore City Public Schools, the Board of School Commissioners, City Solicitor Ebony Thompson and the mayor’s office are listed as defendants.

The offices of the mayor and city solicitor declined to comment.

On Jan. 4, 2023, Dorsey and four other classmates left campus during school hours to go to Popeyes, which is across the street. Dorsey was fatally shot and four other students were wounded outside the restaurant.

Daaon Spears, 18, of Edmondson Village, was accused of opening fire in the shopping center and was charged with first-degree murder, among other offenses. His first trial in October 2024 ended in a mistrial after a jury could not reach a unanimous verdict. The Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office is planning to retry Spears.

Bryan Johnson,18, of Shipley Hill was also charged with first-degree murder and related offenses. Both were 16 at the time of the shooting and prosecutors are seeking a joint trial for next year.

The shooting spurred outrage and many questioned why students were able to leave the school, which has two buildings, the main school and a Westside Skill Center across the street where students go their junior and senior years for career training.

The former principal at Edmondson-Westside High School, Karl Perry, said every year he went across the street to merchants and begged them not to serve his students during school hours. The city also has a codified curfew for youths during school hours, and a portion of city code allows officials to cite businesses that “knowingly permit any minor to remain on the premises” during curfew hours.

The shooting also reignited long–voiced concerns about the overall safety of the shopping center.

In 2017, Deric Ford, a Dollar General store employee at the shopping center, was shot and killed by a robber while working. His family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Edmondson Village Shopping Center Holdings, criticizing the company for not taking adequate security measures in common areas.

Michael Belsky, a partner at Schlachman, Belsky, Weiner & Davey P.A., which represented Ford’s family, previously said “This shopping center has been notorious for many years for its enabling of criminals.”

The shopping center is currently under new ownership after a Chicago-based development company, Chicago TREND, purchased it in August 2023. Chicago TREND has also owned Walbrook Junction Shopping Center since 2021.

Lyneir Richardson, Chicago TREND CEO, previously said addressing crime is a top priority at the shopping center as its being redeveloped, and mentioned on-site security, an active relationship with police, and investment in youth entrepreneurship and violence prevention programs to help with safety and security.

Since being purchased by Chicago TREND, the shopping center has undergone multiple improvements, including new lighting, facade repairs, a new roof and investment in security cameras, according to Richardson.

In 2023, Mayor Brandon Scott committed nearly $8 million toward the renovation.