FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The mother of a man shot and killed at a Fort Lauderdale convenience store in March shared a plea for help finding the suspect and announced a lawsuit against the store where the murder took place.
Fort Lauderdale resident Steven Black, 34, was gunned down on March 13 at Tony’s Market at 900 NW 22nd Road. The murder was caught on camera.
“This hurts bad,” Colette Black said. “It just needs to stop. I just want it to stop.”
Colette Black has retained an attorney, alleging negligence on behalf of the business.
“The close-range shooting in Tony’s Market, which was captured on surveillance video, comes as no surprise. According to police records, since 2018, there were 13 shootings at this business prior to Black’s murder, 9 of those since the start of 2021,” The Haggard Law Firm said in a statement ahead of Tuesday’s news conference. “Among those shootings was the April 2021 shooting of a 6-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy.”
The firm said that despite “the extensive history of crime, the store has not invested in the security that would adequately deter the continued violent acts.”
Black’s family filed a negligent security lawsuit against the management and ownership of Tony’s Market.
“Tony’s Market has so many opportunities to make sure this didn’t happen,” said attorney Kimberly Ward. “This was a 100 percent preventable tragedy.”
Local 10 News has reached out to the owners of Tony’s Market seeking comment.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.
“I don’t want to see another mother have to go through what I’m going to right now,” Colette Black said, encouraging people with information to come forward.
Store location: