Watch above: The families of two armoured truck guards who were shot and killed by their co-worker are suing him and the company G4S. Emily Mertz has the details.
EDMONTON – The families of two armoured truck guards who were shot and killed by co-worker Travis Baumgartner on June 15, 2012 are suing him and the company they worked for.
The families of Eddie Rejano and Brian Ilesic filed wrongful death lawsuits against Baumgartner and G4S Cash Solutions.
Baumgartner killed three co-workers and seriously injured a fourth during the robbery at the University of Alberta’s HUB Mall.
The statements of claim were filed by the families of Rejano and Ilesic on June 9, 2014.
There are two lawsuits and, in total, the families are asking for more than $2 million in restitution.
The families claim that G4S was negligent and didn’t ensure the men’s safety.
They also say the company is liable for Baumgartner’s murders.
They claim G4S “knew or ought to have known or was willfully blind in knowing that the Defenedant Baumgartner was capable of and did perpetrate a theft, robbery and wrongful death … was psychologically unstable and was unfit as a security cash guard or as an armed guard… was financially insolvent and unstable, and the Defendant G4S failed and was not diligent in checking and evaluating his references and work history and background.”
In the early hours of June 15, 2012, Baumgartner shot and killed 39-year-old Rejano, 35-year-old Ilesic, and 26-year-old Michelle Shegelski while delivering money to a bank machine at the university. The fourth guard, 25-year-old Matthew Schuman, was rushed to hospital suffering a gunshot wound to the head.
READ MORE: 3 dead, 1 in critical after University of Alberta shooting in HUB mall
Baumgartner fled the scene with more than $300,000 before being apprehended in B.C. at the Canada-U.S. border less than 48 hours later.
In September 2013, he pleaded guilty to three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.
He was handed a life sentence with no parole eligibility for 40 years. He is 23 years old.
“This is the harshest sentence in Canada since the last execution in 1962,” said Chief Crown Prosecutor Steven Bilodeau after the sentencing submission last year.
READ MORE: Baumgartner sentenced to life in prison, not eligible for parole for 40 years
Global News has tried to contact the families for comment, but so far has received no response.
When contacted, G4S refused comment, saying the matter is before the courts.
Allegations in the statement of claim have not been proven in court.
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