Mother sues Scheels for wrongful death

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. – A new lawsuit filed Monday accuses Scheels of being able to prevent the death of a 19-year-old in 2022. Jordan Markie's mother, Sarah Bogart, is suing Scheels and his employee William Ballantyne for wrongful death and negligent hiring.

On August 22, 2022, Markie entered Scheels, located near Flying Cloud Drive in Eden Prairie, and committed suicide. The lawsuit states that Markie walked into the store and began acting unusually, then approached an employee and asked to show him a handgun stored in a cabinet. The lawsuit states that Markie received a handgun from the employee without asking for his identification or age. Markie loaded the gun in the store and shot himself minutes after receiving the gun.

“Scheels simply should have done more,” said Bogart’s lawyer Alla Lefkowitz.

Markie, who was 19 at the time, was not old enough to buy a handgun in Minnesota. Lefkowitz said it was common practice for gun dealers to put trigger locks on guns, and Scheels did not do so in this case.

Scheels has not commented on the lawsuit.

“They took no safety precautions when they handed that gun over to a minor,” Lefkowitz said. “If they had taken the simplest measures, whether it was using a trigger lock, checking ID or even asking for age, then Jordan would be here today.”

In Minnesota, you must be 21 years old to purchase a handgun. Retailers in Minnesota are not required by law to stock trigger locks on guns in their stores.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide by firearm is one of the leading causes of death in the United States.

If you or someone you love is in crisis, call the national mental health hotline at 988.

988 Lifeline – If you need emotional support, call the national mental health hotline: 988.