Parking Deck Violence in Downtown Wilmington: What Parking Lot Owners Owe the Public (and What Works to Reduce Risk)
By Adam J. Langino, Esq.
Parking Deck Violence in Downtown Wilmington: What Parking Lot Owners Owe the Public (and What Works to Reduce Risk)
Over a single weekend in March 2026, downtown Wilmington saw multiple shootings, including violence connected to a public parking deck near Market Street, and a separate fatal shooting near Hillcrest. Reporting from WHQR described officers responding to a man suffering from a gunshot wound at the downtown parking deck on Market Street between North Front and 2nd Street shortly after last call; the victim was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. WHQR also described an officer-involved shooting that occurred during the police response, and noted a separate incident in which a woman was shot and killed near Hillcrest.
Two days later, WHQR reported updates including that the wounded man was identified as 26-year-old David Corpus and that police announced the arrest of 22-year-old Rafael Martinez in connection with the shooting in the parking deck.
These events raise a public question that North Carolina businesses and property owners should take seriously: what is the responsibility of a parking lot or parking deck owner to take reasonable measures to reduce foreseeable risk to visitors?
Parking lots are predictable risk zones
Parking areas are where people are naturally distracted—looking for keys, loading kids, checking phones, carrying bags, and walking to and from cars—often at night. Features like poor lighting, lack of attendants, and limited natural surveillance can increase risk, especially after dark.
What parking lot owners owe the public in North Carolina (high level)
In North Carolina, premises liability is generally framed around reasonable care toward lawful visitors, and negligent security claims often turn on whether violent or criminal acts were foreseeable in the circumstances. Courts often examine foreseeability using evidence such as prior criminal activity on the premises or nearby, the nature of the business, and what the owner knew or should have known.
If a property owner (or its contractor) undertakes to provide security, that undertaking can matter—because duties may arise from how that security was performed under the circumstances.
What “reasonable security” can look like in parking lots and decks
The best approach is layered. No single tool is perfect, but multiple measures together reduce opportunity, increase visibility, and improve response times.
1) Lighting that supports visibility—not just aesthetics
Well-lit parking lots improve visibility and strengthen natural surveillance. Poor lighting can increase the opportunity for criminal activity.
2) Cameras that are actually usable
Security cameras can deter crime and can be critical for identifying and prosecuting offenders after the fact—if coverage and image quality are sufficient (especially at night).
3) Security presence (when the risk profile supports it)
Visible attendants or guards can function as formal surveillance and deterrence. Staffing should match predictable risk windows (late-night hours, weekends, special events) where appropriate.
4) Access control and environmental design
Broken gates, malfunctioning locks, unguarded entryways, and poorly controlled access points can create opportunities for criminal activity. Access control must be maintained over time—not treated as a one-time installation.
5) Documentation and response systems
After serious incidents, preserving evidence matters. Incident reports, surveillance footage, and related records can disappear quickly if retention policies are short. Properties should have an incident response plan and evidence-retention procedures for serious events.
What to do if you were harmed in a parking lot incident
First, focus on medical care and safety. If you can, preserve information that may disappear: photos of lighting conditions, broken gates, blind spots, signage, and the exact location of the incident. In many negligent security matters, the practical questions include what was foreseeable, what did the owner know (or should have known), and what reasonable measures were in place.
Why Adam Langino and Langino Law PLLC (North Carolina) can help
Langino Law PLLC is based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Adam Langino is a trial lawyer who handles catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases, including negligent security matters where preventable violence occurs in public-facing spaces. If you or your family has questions after an injury on someone else’s property, you can request a free consultation by contacting us here or by calling 888-254-3521 to understand your options and what information should be preserved.