Delray Beach Housing Authority Sued After Alleged Village Square Shooting

by Legal Desk | Feb 7, 2026 · 9:06 am | Delray Beach News

Village Square at Delray Beach apartments, where a civil lawsuit alleges a man was shot on Feb. 14, 2025. The claims have not been proven in court.

Last Updated: Mar 28, 2026 · 4:10 pm

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DELRAY BEACH, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — A civil lawsuit filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court claims a Delray Beach apartment complex and its security provider failed to take reasonable steps to protect a lawful visitor who alleges he was shot on the property last year.

The complaint was filed Feb. 6, 2026, in the Circuit Court of the 15th Judicial Circuit in and for Palm Beach County, Florida, under Case No. 502026CA001447XXXASB, styled Derrick Craig v. Delray Beach Housing Authority; Sunridge Management Group, Inc.; Village Square Family, Ltd.; Delray Housing Group, Inc.; and Liege Security, LLC. The plaintiff, Derrick Craig, is represented by Cowen Edwards, PLLC, according to the filing.

In the lawsuit, Craig alleges the incident occurred Feb. 14, 2025, at an apartment complex the complaint identifies as the Village Square at Delray Beach apartments, tied in the filing to an address “at or around 738 SW 12th Avenue, Delray Beach,” described as the “Subject Property.” The complaint further alleges Craig was a lawful invitee on the premises when he “was shot,” and that he sustained serious bodily injuries as a result.

The complaint names multiple defendants with alleged ownership, management, and security roles at the property, including the Delray Beach Housing Authority, Village Square Family, Ltd., Delray Housing Group, Inc., Sunridge Management Group (identified in the caption as Inc.), and Liege Security, LLC. The filing alleges the housing authority’s principal place of business is listed as 82 NW 5th Avenue, Delray Beach, and states the plaintiff served a statutory notice intended to satisfy presuit requirements under Florida Statute § 768.28 before filing suit against the housing authority.

Across five negligence counts, the complaint alleges each defendant owed duties to maintain reasonably safe premises and to take precautions the filing describes as reasonably necessary to protect tenants, invitees, and members of the public from foreseeable criminal attacks. The lawsuit alleges the property was in a “high crime area,” and claims that prior to the February 2025 shooting there had been “numerous violent criminal acts” on or around the premises and in adjacent areas, including assaults, muggings, batteries, homicides, and robberies.

The complaint lists a range of alleged security failures, including claims that the defendants did not provide adequate security or warnings, did not sufficiently patrol or deter criminal activity, and did not maintain surveillance cameras in working condition. It also alleges the defendants failed to develop, implement, or properly carry out security policies and procedures, and failed to take additional measures after being put on notice that existing security measures were inadequate.

As to Liege Security, LLC, the complaint alleges the company had a contract or ongoing arrangement to provide security services at the premises, and that security personnel were on the property at the time of the alleged attack. The filing alleges the company owed duties to perform its contractual and assumed security responsibilities in a reasonable manner, including duties related to patrol, monitoring, visibility, reporting, and contacting law enforcement when needed.

Craig seeks damages in excess of $50,000, exclusive of interest and costs, and demands a jury trial. The complaint states the plaintiff claims harms including pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, mental anguish, loss of capacity for enjoyment of life, medical expenses, lost wages, and diminished future earning capacity.

The original complaint, Derrick Craig v. Delray Beach Housing Authority; Sunridge Management Group, Inc.; Village Square Family, Ltd.; Delray Housing Group, Inc.; Liege Security, LLC, Case No. 502026CA001447XXXASB, as filed February 6, 2026, with the Clerk of Court, can be viewed here.

What “premises liability” usually means in court filings is explained here. New civil lawsuits are filed across Palm Beach County courts each week. Boca Post reports on those filings in its Boca Raton lawsuits coverage.
 

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