A lawsuit seeking monetary damages has been filed against the owners of Ginnie Springs in Gilchrist County on behalf of the estate of the victim of a fatal shooting at the spring over Memorial Day weekend.
“This action arises out of Defendant’s negligent security practices at a campground located at 7300 NE Ginnie Springs Rd., High Springs, Gilchrist County, Florida,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit also states the owners of Ginnie Springs “had actual or constructive knowledge of a history of criminal and dangerous activity on and in the vicinity of the” campground, as well as controlling and guarding against criminal activity occurring at or in the immediate vicinity of the campground.
“It (Ginnie Springs) failed to provide a safe place for its patrons and campers,” said Antoine Pecko, an attorney with Jacksonville-based Campione Law, the firm that filed the suit on behalf of the estate of Koty Stewart, who would have celebrated his 35th birthday the day before the suit was filed Thursday. The day the suit was filed would have been his fifth wedding anniversary with his widow, Amber Stewart, whose birthday was the next day (Friday, June 28).
“This was supposed to be an incredible weekend for them,” Pecko said.
Ginnie Springs promoted the Memorial Day weekend as a “big party and extravaganza,” Pecko said.
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But “it was more like a rave than a campground” is how it was described by Gilchrist County Sheriff Bobby Schultz, Pecko said.
Multiple witnesses say they saw no security in the campground, and no capacity limits for how many people could enter the site, Pecko said, adding that it is estimated that more than 20,000 people were at the park.
The lack of security at the park put patrons in danger, Pecko said.
“It was no holds barred once you got pass the gate,” he said.
Attempts by The Sun to reach officials at Ginnie Springs were unsuccessful Thursday. An employee who answered the main phone number listed on the park’s website said she was “not at liberty to answer questions.”
The park website, www.ginniespringsoutdoors.com, states that it will be enhancing safety and security at the park for the July 4th weekend that will include “implementing a new policy to limit the number of guests – both day and overnight admissions,” strengthening collaboration with law enforcement, increased staffing, retention of a third-party security expert, increased visibility and enhanced understanding of park rules and policies and increased resources and training for employees on park policies and procedures.
The park has had its share of deaths in the past several years, Pecko said, citing the death of a 45-year-old Holiday woman who died after falling out of the back of a moving Jeep last year and a 1-year-old child who in 2022 was run over by a SUV at the park and later died at a hospital. Also, another person was shot and killed a day after Stewart was killed at the park.
“The purpose of our lawsuit is to get Ginnie Springs to provide a safe environment at what should be a gem in North Central Florida and to hold Ginnie Springs accountable for their failures and to gain justice for the Stewart family,” Pecko said.
The lawsuit asks for the “loss of prospective net accumulations of the estate; all medical and funeral expenses charged to the estate, and all such other damages as are allowable under the law.”
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Estate of man killed at Ginnie Springs filed lawsuit on Thursday
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