PORTLAND, Ore. — A lawsuit alleges that a 7-Eleven store in Northeast Portland is responsible for a 2022 fatal shooting at the store, after a security guard, being paid off the books, shot and killed a man.
The family of Jason Kinsfather, who was killed at the store on Nov. 23, 2022, has filed a wrongful death and negligence suit against a 7-Eleven franchise store owner, Dalriada Enterprises, which operates the location on Northeast Glenn Widing Drive near Portland International Airport.
The lawsuit seeks $3 million in noneconomic damages for the death of Kinsfather, 49, according to court documents.
"The idea of using security at stores makes sense on paper," said Greg Kafoury of Kafroury & McDougal Law Firm, who is representing Kinsfather's family. "What happens is you have people who are largely untrained, often people who are very marginalized, people who want to fancy themselves as having some degree of authority."
Stevie Rayven Moore, the alleged gunman and stand-in security at the store, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm in Multnomah County.
According to court documents, the store allowed Moore to store a loaded gun behind the counter, which he used to shoot Kinsfather once in the stomach after an argument broke out between Kinsfather and a clerk at the 7-Eleven.
Kinsfather died at the scene. Moore fled and was arrested days later in Vancouver, according to police.
Moore previously had been fired as an employee of the 7-Eleven store, the lawsuit states. However, at the time of the shooting, he was being paid either with money or food or drinks under the table for providing security at the store.
He had purchased the gun, a Glock .22-caliber pistol, for $160 with help from the store’s clerk, who gave him $150 toward the purchase.
Kinsfather had gone into the store after his girlfriend had left and told him that she had gotten into a fight with the store clerk, the Oregonian reported. His girlfriend had attempted to steal two quarts of motor oil by placing them in her purse. The store clerk saw and grabbed her bag while she was trying to leave the store. During the struggle, the girlfriend struck the clerk in his groin and the clerk slapped her.
Kinsfather’s girlfriend handed over one of the two quarts of oil and left the store shortly after 9 p.m. Kinsfather then went into the store and began an argument with the clerk. According to witnesses, Kinsfather was overheard telling the clerk that he'd "see you outside," once his shift was done.
As Kinsfather was leaving the store and talking with a witness, Moore motioned for the clerk to give him his backpack from behind the counter, which had the gun inside, according to court documents. Moore then shot and killed Kinsfather.
"To be a young man lying on the floor of a 7-Eleven, people involved in the shooting running away, and you're laying there slowly bleeding, knowing that these are your last moments on earth," Kafoury said. "What's that worth?"
KGW has reached out to Dalriada Enterprises, but has not heard back yet.