Auburn grad’s family blames gunmaker, boyfriend’s father in shooting weeks after she landed dream job

The parents of an Auburn University postgraduate who constabulary accidental was changeable and killed by her boyfriend's begetter weeks aft landing her imagination occupation successful interior plan person accused him and a yet-to-be-identified gunmaker successful a wrongful decease lawsuit, according to tribunal filings.

Whitney Robeson, a 22-year-old primitively from Richmond, Virginia, died connected the evening of March 7 aft a gunshot tore done her precocious chest, according to the lawsuit. She was pronounced dormant astatine a infirmary astir an hr later.

The shooting was initially reported arsenic an accident, and the coroner’s aboriginal uncovering was "accident" based connected constricted accusation disposable astatine the time. Defense lawyer Johnny Amari has repeatedly described the incidental arsenic a "tragic" and "terrible accident."

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A divided representation shows Auburn alumni Brandon Towers and Whitney Robeson connected the near and Jeffrey Towers, Brandon's father, connected the right. The elder Towers is accused of "inadvertently" discharging a firearm, resulting successful Robeson's decease successful his Alabama home. (Brandon Towers/Instagram, Courtesy of the Amari Law Firm)

Police successful Trussville, astir 15 miles northeast of Birmingham, arrested her boyfriend's father, 54-year-old Jeffrey Towers, connected a manslaughter complaint past week, astir 2 months aft the shooting.

"Innocent until proven blameworthy is not conscionable a ineffable rule, it’s a ineligible standard," said Amari, 1 of Towers' transgression defence attorneys. "Our presumption is he’s not blameworthy of the discourtesy that he’s charged with."

Towers has not yet entered a plea. He was released connected $30,000 bond, the highest magnitude for a Class B felony similar manslaughter, Amari said. He is owed backmost successful tribunal connected July 22.

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Whitney Robeson, a 22-year-old Auburn University postgraduate from Richmond, Virginia, was changeable and killed connected March 7 astatine a location successful Trussville, Alabama. (Instagram/@whitneyharlowdesign)

"Nothing that we bash oregon accidental arsenic a transgression defence team...diminishes the information that a beingness was mislaid present — and a peculiar life," Amari told Fox News Digital. "This miss was peculiar to my client, peculiar to my client's family."

Robeson and Towers' 22-year-old son, Brandon Towers, attended Auburn University unneurotic and were dating astatine the clip of her death. Weeks earlier the shooting, she had conscionable started a occupation successful interior plan astatine RH, formerly known arsenic Restoration Hardware.

"We judge adjacent erstwhile a mistake is made, you person the close to your transgression defense, you person the rights to unit the authorities to beryllium their lawsuit beyond tenable doubt, and that's each we're exercising," Amari said. "It doesn't successful immoderate mode diminish the nonaccomplishment of beingness that we cognize is valuable."

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Read the lawsuit:

Amari's instrumentality steadfast was not representing Towers successful the civilian lawsuit arsenic of Tuesday morning.

Although the prosecution's mentation of events has not yet been made public, the civilian suit alleges antecedently unseen details astir Robeson's past moments.

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Towers was successful the attic of his location connected Deer Trail with his lad and Robeson, showing them "a postulation of antique firearms," according to the lawsuit. While handling a .22-caliber revolver, helium "inadvertently" discharged a round, which caused the fatal injuries to Robeson's bosom and near lung.

"Whether known oregon chartless to Defendant Towers, the firearm being handled was loaded, and arsenic helium displayed the limb to Whitney and his son, a azygous changeable was inadvertently discharged," the suit states. "The discharged slug struck 22-year-old Whitney Robeson successful the precocious near broadside of her chest."

Brandon Towers and Whitney Robeson successful an undated household photo. Towers' father, Jeffrey Towers, is accused of "inadvertently" discharging an antique firearm, which fatally wounded his son's girlfriend, Robeson, a 22-year-old caller postgraduate of Auburn University who had conscionable started a vocation successful interior design. (Brandon Towers/Instagram)

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The suit alleges that helium handled the limb negligently and that the gunmaker produced the revolver with plan flaws that made it "unfit for its mean purpose."

"Defendant Towers, with reckless indifference to the consequences and a conscious disregard for the information of others, engaged successful the unsafe handling of a firearm without verifying whether the limb was loaded," the suit alleges.

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It aboriginal claims helium handled the weapon with "a implicit deficiency of cognition of firearm safety, firearm mechanics, oregon however to safely grip firearms."

Although the suit doesn't usage the gunmaker's name, it includes 14 unnamed co-defendants who tin beryllium identified aboriginal nether Alabama law.

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Whitney Robeson, 22, studied interior plan astatine Auburn earlier getting a occupation astatine RH, formerly known arsenic Restoration Hardware. (Instagram/@whitneyharlowdesign)

Robeson's parents, Carin and Matthew Robeson, are relying connected the state's Extended Manufacturer’s Liability Doctrine to additionally allege that the firearm was defectively designed, "unfit for its mean purpose," and lacked capable information features "as to forestall inadvertent discharge."

"At its core, this substance involves the tragic and unnecessary decease of a 22-year-old young pistillate whose beingness was chopped abbreviated acold excessively soon," their attorney, Andrew Moak, said successful a statement. "Whitney was a daughter, loved one, and subordinate of her community, and that should ne'er beryllium mislaid successful the treatment surrounding this case."

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He said the household is seeking justness and accountability. The suit does not specify monetary damages being sought.

In an online obituary, Robeson's household revealed she had wanted to enactment successful interior plan since her childhood, inspired by shows connected HGTV. After graduating summa cum laude from Auburn's interior plan program, she got a occupation arsenic a commercialized advisor for RH, formerly known arsenic Restoration Hardware, doing conscionable that.