Scheels faces wrongful death lawsuit after shooting teenager at Eden Prairie store

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (FOX 9) – Scheels and one of his employees are facing a wrongful death lawsuit after a 19-year-old man shot himself at the Eden Prairie store in 2022.

What we know

On August 22, 2022, Jordan Markie went to Scheels' gun department and walked around for several minutes. During this time, the lawsuit states, he appeared nervous and checked the gun cabinets to see if they were locked.

Eventually, he asked an employee to show him a semi-automatic pistol in a locked cabinet. About 30 seconds after the store employee handed him the gun, Mackie ran, loaded the gun with ammunition, and fired a single shot.

Authorities believe Mackie brought the ammunition from home, and the indictment alleges he had stolen ammunition from the store twice before.

The lawsuit

On Thursday, Markie's mother filed a lawsuit in Hennepin County against Scheels and his employees, who gave the teenager a gun that he later used to shoot himself in the store.

The lawsuit alleges that the store should have refused the teen's request to see the firearm because of his odd behavior in the store and that the employee did not take reasonable steps to ensure he was of legal age, such as asking for his identification.

RELATED: Protocol on arms sales questioned after Scheels incident

The lawsuit alleges that the store clerk failed to remove the magazine from the gun and that the gun was not equipped with other safety features, such as a trigger lock or plastic straps, which would have rendered the gun unusable before it was handed over.

“In an impulsive act, he killed himself with a handgun provided to him through the negligent conduct of the defendants, even though he was not old enough to purchase the weapon. Jordan would still be alive today if the defendants had taken basic, industry-standard steps regarding the display and sale of handguns,” the lawsuit states.

What they say

“As stated in the complaint, Jordan would still be alive today if the defendants had not given him a gun he was too young to own,” said Alla Lefkowitz, managing director of Affirmative Litigation at Everytown Law and legal counsel to Jordan's mother, Sarah Van Bogart. “It is well documented that time and space between a person in crisis and a firearm can reduce the risk of suicide and save lives. Instead, it took Scheels less than 30 seconds to put a functioning gun in Jordan's hands. This lawsuit seeks to hold accountable those whose actions led to Jordan's tragic death.”

Markie’s mother also made a statement about her son:

“Jordan was kind, artistic, and full of empathy and compassion for others. Our family misses him every day. Far too many mothers share my pain. Too many families share an empty chair at the kitchen table because someone committed suicide with a firearm. Jordan should never have been given that gun, let alone a gun unlocked just steps away from accessible ammunition. My son should be alive today. I want to hold Scheels accountable so no mother in the future experiences a similar tragedy.”

FOX 9 has reached out to Scheels for comment.

What happens next?

The lawsuit seeks more than $50,000 in damages for the harm and suffering caused by Markie's death, in addition to other possible just compensation, court records show.

The lawsuit was filed Thursday in Hennepin County.