The mother of late rapper Takeoff, Titania Davenport-Treet, is suing the Houston venue where he died, saying the property, 810 Billiards & Bowling, was unsafe and the owners are responsible for his death.
Davenport-Treet’s lawsuit, filed June 7 in Harris County, Texas, states that she is seeking “compensatory, special, economic, consequential, general, punitive and all other damages permissible under Texas law.”
Her lawsuit also states that the defendants were aware of how dangerous the venue could be, and failed to provide the proper safety measures to keep someone of Takeoff’s caliber safe.
Mike Siniscalchi is the founder and CEO of 810 Bowling, Erik Covitz is the co-owner, Mark McGee is the general manager, but listed as defendants in the lawsuit are Houston LLC, LVA4 Houston Greenstreet, Lionstone Partners, Midway Companies and Cushman & Wakefield of Texas.
Takeoff’s Death
On Nov. 1, 2022, 28-year-old Takeoff, whose real name is Kirsnick Khari Ball, was killed when outside of the bowling alley after attending a private party. The Migos rap trio member was one of the few celebrities at the event, which the lawsuit states. He was right outside of the venue when he was shot after gunfire suddenly broke out. An autopsy showed he died from gunshot wounds to the head and torso.
Fellow Migos member, Quavo, who is Takeoff’s uncle, was also on the scene. The third member of the successful Grammy-nominated group, Offset, was not.
Patrick Xavier Clark, 33, was indicted in May in Takeoff’s murder. According to Houston police, the gunfire followed a disagreement over a “lucrative” game of dice, but Takeoff, authorities have said, was not involved and was “an innocent bystander.”
The Lawsuit
The lawsuit points the finger squarely at the owners of the bowling alley. “Defendants provided no screening mechanisms, no after-hour controls or security measures, and no enforcement of rules or industry standards to deter crime against their invitees, to include [Takeoff],” the lawsuit alleges. “In fact, social media posting in advance of the party made it clear that not only basic security measures needed to be followed, but advance planning and consideration should have been taken into account, which Defendants were negligent in failing to do.”
Rolling Stone reported that Davenport-Treet’s lawsuit notes that 810 Billiards & Bowling violated 18 courts of alleged negligence, for instance, “Negligently failing to provide adequate and appropriate security personnel” and “Negligently failing to properly inspect and maintain the premises” and “Negligently failing to warn invitees of known hazards at the property” and “Negligently failing to properly retain, hire, train, and supervise their employees.”
According to the lawsuit, the owners knew the area was unsafe and were aware the party would be attended by celebrities, but failed to take precautions to keep their guests safe.
“Defendants knew or should have known that a significant number of violent crimes were committed at the subject premises and in the surrounding area, but negligently failed to protect invitees like [Takeoff] from the risks of violent crime,” the lawsuit reads.
It continues, “Moreover, in addition to prior crimes, Defendants negligently failed to take necessary and unique precautions due to the specific event and the attendees. Specifically, Defendants knew that based on the nature of the party, celebrities would more likely than not be in attendance and potentially be the targets of crime. Defendants negligently represented proper security would be in place, when in fact none was; this caused many people to come to the event without concern.”
Battle Over Takeoff’s Estate
The rapper left behind an estimated net worth of $26 million. He reportedly did not have a will, which has led to a dispute over his estate between his parents, Davenport-Treet and Kenneth M. Ball, as Finurah previously reported.
Both parents, who live in Georgia and are no longer together, claim to have been in Takeoff’s life. But only one is entitled to inherit his estate, and according to state law, it is the parent who was closer to their son.
Takeoff previously shared about being raised by a single mother.
