LEOMINSTER — The family of Robert Wright-Day, a 20-year-old man fatally stabbed outside a Leominster apartment complex last year, has filed a lawsuit against multiple entities they believe bear responsibility beyond the three individuals charged in his death.
According to NBC10 Boston, the lawsuit names the Riverside Village Apartments, the property management company, and the private security firm responsible for the complex. The family, along with their Boston-based attorneys, alleges that these parties failed to take necessary precautions to prevent the violence that led to Wright-Day’s death.
Wright-Day was stabbed in the early-morning hours of May 7, 2024, outside Riverside Village Apartments during what police described as a car meetup party that grew into a large gathering.
His mother, Stacey Houston, shared that her son had aspirations of becoming a barber and joining the military. “The week before, he was trying to get me to take him down to the recruiter’s office, but every time we went, they were closed. So, we couldn’t get in,” she said. Now, she says, those dreams will never be realized.
Wright-Day’s father, Delmahr Wright, recalled the heartbreaking moment his grandson asked if placing a cross on Wright-Day’s chest would bring him back to life. “I told him, ‘I wish it was that easy, but it’s not,'” he said.
While three individuals have been arrested and charged in connection with the fatal stabbing, the family believes others share responsibility. Their attorneys argue that the apartment complex had a history of resident complaints about large gatherings of young people on the property. In response, management had hired Archer Security, a private security firm, but according to lead attorney John McCarthy of Michael Kelly Injury Lawyers, their investigation found that security personnel were not present the night of the stabbing.
“They could’ve gotten my child help faster instead of him bleeding to death out there,” Houston said.
The lawsuit seeks damages for medical expenses, funeral and burial costs, and other losses. However, Houston emphasized that no amount of money can replace her son.
“We’re missing out on our son being everything he could’ve been in life,” she said. “We don’t know what he could’ve been, but we know he would’ve been something great.”
NBC10 Boston reached out to the defendants, and while the apartment management company responded, they did not address the lawsuit directly. Instead, they stated that they are “deeply saddened by this tragic loss as a result of senseless violence” and are conducting an internal review with security professionals to assess whether any modifications are needed.
