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The family of John Cain Jr., a 38-year-old man fatally shot while assisting at the Grand Rapids Inn in Kent County, Michigan, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the hotel. Cain was acting as an unofficial security guard when he was killed by an unruly guest on November 2, 2021.
Circumstances Leading to the Incident
According to the lawsuit filed in Kent County Circuit Court in late October, Cain, a guest at the hotel who occasionally worked in exchange for his room, was asked by the hotel manager to address a disturbance involving an unregistered guest and loud music in one of the rooms.
READ: Empowering Security Guards: The Case for Greater Authority and Training
Despite having no formal security training or protective equipment such as pepper spray, a Taser, or a firearm, Cain approached the room around midnight. The lawsuit claims the hotel should have foreseen the potential danger and avoided sending someone untrained into a volatile situation.
Fatal Encounter and Aftermath
After Cain arrived at the room, one of the occupants went to speak with the manager, leaving 21-year-old Jacob Grygorzyk alone inside. Grygorzyk, reportedly struggling with mental illness, shot Cain four times after setting up a cellphone to record the killing.
The disturbing footage was posted on social media and later removed, but not before Cain’s family saw it. Grygorzyk fled to his mother’s house nearby, where he later fatally shot himself in his bedroom.
Legal Allegations: Wrongful Death Lawsuit
The wrongful death lawsuit, filed by Grand Rapids attorney Stephen Drew, argues that the Grand Rapids Inn acted negligently by sending Cain into a dangerous situation without proper training, protective gear, or law enforcement backup.
“Defendant Grand Rapids Inn knew or should have known that sending someone with no training like John Cain Jr. to confront occupants with the threat of eviction was exposing him to a foreseeable dangerous situation,” Drew wrote.
Remembering John Cain Jr.
Cain, described by his father as a “great father” and a dedicated community mentor, left behind an 8-year-old daughter, Niahmari. He was a football coach, mentoring athletes from youth leagues to semi-professional teams, earning deep respect from players and peers alike.
His family hopes the lawsuit will bring accountability and prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future.
