Williams v. City of Detroit

On January 7, 1979, plaintiff, John Williams, an alleged business invitee at an Autorama show held at Cobo Hall in Detroit, sustained a gunshot wound when an Autorama exhibitor, Lee Davidson, who claimed he had been harassed, assaulted plaintiff with a handgun. Plaintiff 1 brought suit against defendant, City of Detroit, alleging that defendant breached its duty to provide adequate safety and protection for patrons of the show. 2 After hearing oral arguments on defendant’s motion for summary judgment, the trial court held that defendant did not have a duty to provide security within the area…