Family of teen killed by wall at Robins Air Force Base files lawsuit

HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. - The family of Gabriel Stone, a 14-year-old boy who died last July after a concrete wall collapsed on him at the Heritage Club on Robins Air Force Base in Houston County, has reportedly filed a lawsuit against the United States government, the U.S. Air Force, and several civilian parties.

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The lawsuit, filed this week, alleges negligence in the inspection, maintenance, and repair of the wall that fatally injured Stone. According to the complaint, Stone had just finished swimming at the Heritage Club pool when he entered the men’s locker room. Moments later, a concrete wall collapsed, trapping him and three other teenagers under the debris.

Stone was pinned beneath approximately a ton of concrete blocks. He was extricated from the rubble and initially treated at the scene but later died after being transported to a local hospital.

An Air Force investigation reportedly determined that the wall, which was built in 1969, had been improperly constructed. The complaint contends that the wall was not anchored, violating standard construction codes.

The lawsuit alleges negligence, gross negligence, and recklessness under the Federal Tort Claims Act and Georgia law.

Stone’s family is represented by attorneys Rod Edmond, M.D., J.D., and Shofaetiyah Watson of the Atlanta-based law firm Edmond & Lindsay, LLP.