The parents of a recent Auburn University alumna, tragically claimed to be a victim of a fatal shooting by her boyfriend’s father soon after she began her dream role in interior design, have launched a wrongful death lawsuit. This legal action also involves an unnamed gun manufacturer, as stated in court documents.
Whitney Robeson, a 22-year-old hailing from Richmond, Virginia, succumbed to a gunshot wound to her upper chest on the night of March 7. She was declared deceased approximately an hour after the incident at a nearby hospital, according to the lawsuit.
Initially, the shooting was classified as accidental, with early conclusions from the coroner supporting this based on preliminary details. Defense lawyer Johnny Amari has consistently described the occurrence as a “tragic” and “unfortunate accident.”
A composite image shows Auburn graduates Brandon Towers with Whitney Robeson on one side and Brandon’s father, Jeffrey Towers, on the other. The elder Towers is accused of unintentionally firing a weapon, leading to Robeson’s death at his residence in Alabama. (Images courtesy of Brandon Towers/Instagram and the Amari Law Firm)
Authorities in Trussville, located about 15 miles northeast of Birmingham, apprehended 54-year-old Jeffrey Towers, the father of Robeson’s boyfriend, on a manslaughter charge last week, nearly two months following the incident.
“The principle of innocence until proven guilty is not only sacred but a cornerstone of our legal system,” stated Amari, one of Jeffrey Towers’ defense attorneys. “We maintain that he is not guilty of the charges brought against him.”
Towers has not yet entered a plea. He was released on $30,000 bond, the highest amount for a Class B felony like manslaughter, Amari said. He is due back in court on July 22.
Whitney Robeson, a 22-year-old Auburn University graduate from Richmond, Virginia, was shot and killed on March 7 at a home in Trussville, Alabama. (Instagram/@whitneyharlowdesign)
“Nothing that we do or say as a criminal defense team…diminishes the fact that a life was lost here — and a special life,” Amari told Fox News Digital. “This girl was special to my client, special to my client’s family.”
Robeson and Towers’ 22-year-old son, Brandon Towers, attended Auburn University together and were dating at the time of her death. Weeks before the shooting, she had just started a job in interior design at RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware.
“We believe even when a mistake is made, you have the right to your criminal defense, you have the rights to force the state to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt, and that’s all we’re exercising,” Amari said. “It doesn’t in any way diminish the loss of life that we know is valuable.”
Read the lawsuit:
Amari’s law firm was not representing Towers in the civil case as of Tuesday morning.
Although the prosecution’s version of events has not yet been made public, the civil lawsuit alleges previously unseen details about Robeson’s last moments.
Towers was in the attic of his home on Deer Trail with his son and Robeson, showing them “a collection of antique firearms,” according to the lawsuit. While handling a .22-caliber revolver, he “inadvertently” discharged a round, which caused the fatal injuries to Robeson’s heart and left lung.
“Whether known or unknown to Defendant Towers, the firearm being handled was loaded, and as he displayed the weapon to Whitney and his son, a single shot was inadvertently discharged,” the lawsuit states. “The discharged bullet struck 22-year-old Whitney Robeson in the upper left side of her chest.”
Brandon Towers and Whitney Robeson in an undated family photo. Towers’ father, Jeffrey Towers, is accused of “inadvertently” discharging an antique firearm, which fatally wounded his son’s girlfriend, Robeson, a 22-year-old recent graduate of Auburn University who had just started a career in interior design. (Brandon Towers/Instagram)
The lawsuit alleges that he handled the weapon negligently and that the gunmaker produced the revolver with design flaws that made it “unfit for its ordinary purpose.”
“Defendant Towers, with reckless indifference to the consequences and a conscious disregard for the safety of others, engaged in the unsafe handling of a firearm without verifying whether the weapon was loaded,” the lawsuit alleges.
It later claims he handled the gun with “a complete lack of knowledge of firearm safety, firearm mechanics, or how to safely handle firearms.”
Although the lawsuit doesn’t use the gunmaker’s name, it includes 14 unnamed co-defendants who can be identified later under Alabama law.
Whitney Robeson, 22, studied interior design at Auburn before getting a job at RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware. (Instagram/@whitneyharlowdesign)
Robeson’s parents, Carin and Matthew Robeson, are relying on the state’s Extended Manufacturer’s Liability Doctrine to additionally allege that the firearm was defectively designed, “unfit for its ordinary purpose,” and lacked adequate safety features “as to prevent inadvertent discharge.”
“At its core, this matter involves the tragic and unnecessary death of a 22-year-old young woman whose life was cut short far too soon,” their attorney, Andrew Moak, said in a statement. “Whitney was a daughter, loved one, and member of her community, and that should never be lost in the discussion surrounding this case.”
He said the family is seeking justice and accountability. The lawsuit does not specify monetary damages being sought.
In an online obituary, Robeson’s family revealed she had wanted to work in interior design since her childhood, inspired by shows on HGTV. After graduating summa cum laude from Auburn’s interior design program, she got a job as a trade consultant for RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, doing just that.
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