‘They won’t stop unless we make them.’ SC mother sues insurance giant after son’s murder
The mother of a Columbia teen who was killed during a high school graduation party has sued an insurance giant that owns the property where he was shot, saying “they put their profits over his life.”
In a civil complaint filed late last week, Adrien Lake-Watson ⏤ the mother of Julian Keel, a 16-year-old rising senior at W.J. Keenan High School ⏤ alleges that Unum Group, its subsidiary Colonial Life and restaurant owner AntsWay LLC negligently contributed to her son’s June 2024 death by not providing security at a venue known for violence.
Colonial Life and Unum owned the property located at 1410 Colonial Life Blvd. and the adjacent parking lot, where Keel was shot, according to the lawsuit.
“They let my son die because, according to them, his life wasn’t worth the cost of hiring security,” Watson said in a news release issued Monday. “They put their profits over his life and they won’t stop unless we make them.”
Unum Group is an insurance company that owns Colonial Life, a major Columbia employer with headquarters adjacent to the crime scene. Colonial Life owns the naming rights to the University of South Carolina’s basketball arena.
AntsWay owns and operates Roll-out Wingz and Eggrolls, a Columbia eatery.
Keel was killed early June 2 after large groups gathered for a graduation party at the 1400 block of Colonial Life Boulevard, according to the Columbia Police Department. He was shot in the parking lot of Roll-Out Wingz and Eggrollz, police said.
Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook announced the arrest of two suspects last October — Tonie Wilson, 20, and a 16-year-old. Both were charged with murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime and breach of peace of a high and aggravated nature. The juvenile was also charged with possessing a weapon under the age of 18.
Wilson was formally indicted on Dec. 18, 2024, and is awaiting a first court appearance, according to court records.
The civil defendants are accused of gross negligence, negligence, negligent security and wrongful death, according to the lawsuit. Additionally, Watson filed a claim under South Carolina’s survival statue, which permits her to recover damages suffered between the time of Keel’s shooting and his death.
Keel “suffered grievous bodily injuries, physical pain and suffering, and incurred medical expenses prior to his death,” the suit said. “His estate is entitled to an award of actual damages in an amount to be determined through a trial of this matter.”
Watson is being represented by attorneys from the Strom Law Firm, including former U.S. Attorney Pete Strom and civil rights attorney Bakari Sellers.
“These companies have big names and deep pockets so we know this lawsuit is David vs. Goliath,” Sellers said in a news release. “But they’re putting our children’s lives at risk again and again. These companies knew the dangers. They knew this (venue) was a recipe for disaster ... we can’t let that stand.”
In a statement, Unum distanced itself, saying that while the company extends its condolences to Keel’s family, the event resulting in his death was “not related to Colonial Life.”
AntsWay did not immediately respond to a request for comment following the suit’s filling.
The lawsuit, however, contends Unum and other defendants were, indeed, responsible for the operation, management, access and safety of the venue and its patrons.
Despite knowing that a “significant number of violent crimes had been committed” in the parking lot of Roll-out Wingz and Eggrolls and in the surrounding area, Sellers contends that defendants failed to provide “screening mechanisms, security staff, or enforcement” of a requirement that only people 18 or older could enter the event, as advertised by a digital flyer for the event.
Around 12:30 a.m. on June 2, 2024, with no security present, a fight broke out at the event, according to the lawsuit. Around the same time, Keel, who was not involved in the fight, was attempting to leave the premises when more than fifty shots were fired from at least four guns, according to the Columbia Police Department.
Keel was struck in the right upper back by a bullet that exited his left chest. He died after being transported to an area hospital.
Keel, affectionately known as “JuJu,” was a “God filled loving young man” who played football, golf, ran track, and wrestled, Watson said during a news conference in October.
“He loved his family, he loved his brother, he loved his nana ... but at the end of the day, you know he loved football,” Watson said.
This story was originally published January 7, 2025 at 3:41 PM.
