WAUPACA COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A Waupaca County family is suing Fleet Farm for the wrongful death of their son, two years after the 16-year-old died by suicide.
In December, 2020, Ryan Ames stole a handgun and ammunition from the Fleet Farm he worked at before returning home and shooting himself with the gun.
Bruce and Bambi Ames say that while Ryan was employed at Fleet Farm, he was given “unfettered, unsupervised, and unmonitored access to firearms and ammunition.”
In the Waupaca County lawsuit, filed last December, the family says that the Midwest retailer negligently caused the death of their son by not properly securing or monitoring the guns.
The Ames say that the store’s guns were not secured with trigger locks, electronic security devices or any other safety devices. While the guns were stored in a locked room away from customers, that did not prohibit workers from accessing the guns with allegedly no supervision.
Before leaving the store on the day of his death, the family says Ryan entered the vault at least five times — three times within an hour — and on several occasions, he inspected and held at least one handgun and ammunition.
The family says that the vault and storage area were both equipped with security cameras but claims those cameras were unmonitored. Furthermore, they say no one questioned why the underage employee was handling or inspecting guns or take any steps to prevent future access.
The lawsuit also says that Ryan told more than one coworker that he planned to harm or kill himself and, yet, still no action was taken.
“He was receiving treatment, and we took extensive steps to keep him safe. We never imagined Ryan would have such easy access to guns while working at Fleet Farm and would be allowed to walk out of the store with one,” said the Ames family in a statement. “We are heartbroken and our lives are forever changed. We will grieve Ryan’s loss every day for the rest of our lives. We are holding Fleet Farm accountable so that no other family has to suffer a similar tragedy.”
As of Monday, Fleet Farm has not provided a reply to the lawsuit.
If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, call the Suicide and Crisis Hotline at 988.
