A man was found dead inside a Jacksonville motel room on Friday, June 1, 2026. According to a News4Jax report, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) located one shooter but confirmed a second suspect remained on the run as of the time of reporting.

When a person is murdered at a motel, the grief is overwhelming. But families are often left with a question they never expected to ask: could this have been prevented?

At Juan Cordero Lawyers, we have recovered millions of dollars for victims of negligent security in Florida — including landmark verdicts in negligent security shooting cases and multi-million dollar recoveries for shooting victims at commercial properties. See our full results → We know how to hold property owners accountable when their failure to protect guests costs lives.

JSO responded to the motel after a man was found dead inside a room. Investigators identified one shooter and made an arrest, but a second suspect was still being sought. The investigation remained active.

While the criminal case focuses on the shooters, a separate civil case can be brought against the motel itself — if its failure to provide adequate security contributed to the conditions that allowed this violence to occur.

Yes. Under Florida premises liability law, motels, hotels, and other property owners have a legal duty to maintain reasonably safe conditions for guests. When they fail to do so — and that failure allows a foreseeable violent crime to occur — they can be held civilly liable.

This is the foundation of a negligent security claim.

A motel may be liable for negligent security if it failed to:

• Maintain working locks on room doors, windows, and connecting doors
• Install adequate lighting in parking lots, hallways, and common areas
• Employ security personnel or contract with a security company, especially in high-crime areas
• Install and monitor security cameras (CCTV) throughout the property
• Restrict access to guest floors and rooms from non-guests
• Respond to prior incidents — if there had been previous violent crimes on the property, the motel had a heightened duty to act
• Screen employees who have access to guest rooms

Florida courts use a foreseeability test: was it reasonably foreseeable that a violent crime could occur on this property? Evidence used to establish foreseeability includes:

• Prior police calls to the property
• Crime statistics for the surrounding area
• Prior incidents reported to management
• The property's history of security complaints

If the motel had prior knowledge of criminal activity — or if the surrounding area had a documented history of violence — and the motel still failed to upgrade its security measures, that is powerful evidence of negligence.

The fact that JSO identified two shooters — one arrested, one still at large — does not weaken a civil claim against the motel. In fact, it may strengthen it.

Multiple perpetrators suggest a planned or coordinated attack, which raises the question: were there warning signs the motel should have detected? Could better surveillance, controlled access, or security personnel have deterred or interrupted the attack?

In Florida civil cases, the motel's liability is evaluated independently of the criminal case. Even if both shooters are eventually convicted, the motel can still be held responsible for creating the conditions that made the crime possible.

If a negligent security claim is successful, surviving family members may be entitled to recover:

• Funeral and burial expenses
• Lost income and future financial support the deceased would have provided
• Loss of companionship, guidance, and protection (loss of consortium)
• Pain and suffering experienced by the victim before death
• Punitive damages in cases of gross negligence or willful disregard for guest safety

Florida's wrongful death statute governs who can bring these claims. Typically, the personal representative of the estate files the lawsuit on behalf of surviving spouses, children, and parents.

We are one of Florida's most experienced negligent security law firms, with a track record that speaks for itself. We have recovered millions of dollars for shooting victims, assault victims, and families who lost loved ones due to inadequate security at hotels, motels, apartment complexes, and commercial properties throughout Florida.

See our full verdicts and results →

These results are not accidents. They come from decades of experience investigating property owners, uncovering prior incident reports, retaining security experts, and building cases that hold negligent landlords and property managers fully accountable.

We handle negligent security cases throughout Florida — including Jacksonville, Miami, Broward, Palm Beach, the Treasure Coast, Orlando, and Tampa.

When we take a negligent security case, we immediately:

1. Preserve evidence — We send preservation letters to the motel demanding they retain all surveillance footage, maintenance records, incident logs, and employee records before they are destroyed or overwritten
2. Obtain police reports and call logs — We pull every JSO call to that property going back years to establish foreseeability
3. Retain security experts — We work with former law enforcement and security industry professionals who can testify about what the property should have done differently
4. Investigate ownership — Motels are often owned by LLCs or management companies; we trace the full ownership chain to ensure all responsible parties are named

Surveillance footage at motels is typically overwritten within 30 to 72 hours unless a legal hold is placed. Witness memories fade. Employees move on.

If your loved one was killed or injured at a Jacksonville motel — or any Florida property — do not wait to speak with an attorney.

At Juan Cordero Lawyers, we work on a contingency fee basis: you pay nothing unless we win. There is no cost to speak with us, and no obligation after your consultation.

Call or text us anytime: 305-525-8957

We serve clients in Jacksonville, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Stuart, Port St. Lucie, Orlando, Tampa, and throughout the state of Florida.

The information in this article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this article does not create an attorney-client relationship. If you have a legal matter, please contact our office directly.

Related Reading:

• Why You Need Florida's Best Negligent Security Lawyers — CPTED-Trained, DCA-Ready, and Built to Beat the Foreseeability Defense
• Shot at a Florida Hotel or Motel? The Property May Be Liable
• Jacksonville Hotel Shooting: What Families Need to Know
• Varone v. Publix: What Is Foreseeability in Florida Negligent Security Cases?
• What Is Negligent Security and When Can You Sue in Florida?