The April 30 mass shooting at the La Jolla Crossroads apartment complex, carried out by 49-year-old Peter Selis, left 35-year-old mother of three, Monique Clark, dead and wounded several others before Selis was shot and killed by SDPD officers. One of the victims of the senseless act, Charnee James, was shot in both legs and suffered considerable nerve damage as a result of Selis’ actions. James has now filed suit against La Jolla Crossroads, which claims that Selis’ brother-in-law, the principal and manager of the apartment complex, ‘did not do enough’ to protect the public from Selis. Following the shooting, Selis’ family members took to social media to express their condolences.
“Words cannot express our profound grief and sorrow for all the victims and their families,” the gunman’s sister, Eve Selis, posted on her Facebook page as a statement. “On behalf of our family, we are so sorry that this happened.
“Our family feels the unbearable pain caused by Pete’s senseless acts. We cannot understand what would have caused Pete to do this,” Selis continued. Initial motive, though relatively unclear, was determined by San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman merely a day after the shooting occurred.
“Selis and his girlfriend recently broke up, and family and friends of the suspect said that he was distraught and depressed about the breakup,” said Zimmerman at an April 31 press conference. “Selis is a La Jolla Crossroads resident. He called his ex-girlfriend and told her that he ‘had shot two people’ and continued firing until police arrived at the scene. We believe that he wanted his ex-girlfriend to listen to him carry out his rampage. 
“We believe that there is zero information to indicate that race played a factor in this terrible and horrific crime. He simply targeted his victims because they just happened to be there. While two victims are still in critical condition, they are stable and are expected to survive. Selis has no criminal history, and though distraught, his friends and family could not have predicted his behavior.”
This is what James’ lawsuit alleges against La Jolla Crossroads – that Selis’ family did, in fact, know that he was a danger to himself and others. In spite of the countless warning signs, he was allowed to live rent-free in the upscale residential community, continuing a downward spiral of drugs, alcohol, debt and accruing firearms. Selis’ aforementioned brother-in-law, Stuart Posnack, is chief executive of Garden Communities, which is a parent company of La Jolla Crossroads, LLC.
The shooter was also known to be heavily indebted. According to reports, Selis filed Chapter 13 bankruptcy in 2015 as a joint debtor with his former spouse, Patricia Martinez. The filing listed assets of $14,100 and liabilities of $108,028. He had also previously filed for bankruptcy in 2009. The shooter apparently had a history with substance abuse issues as well. “He had divorced from his wife and had recently, prior to the shooting, been deserted by his girlfriend,” the lawsuit alleges. “He was deeply in debt and unemployed. At least one collection company had claimed that he had engaged in criminal activity in converting money to his own use. He was an alcohol and drug abuser. He also was a possessor of weapons.” 
The suit also said an unnamed security guard company in charge of watching over the property was negligent in failing to prevent the shooting and for failing to protect victims once the shooting started.