Tentative settlements have been reached in two lawsuits filed by a woman who alleged the Shoe Palace Corp. was liable in the 2021 death of her 26-year-old son, who was shot to death during a sneaker promotion event, the attorneys in the case told a judge Friday.
Jessica Bradford filed the Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuits on behalf of herself in August 2022 and on behalf of her son’s estate in August 2023. The complaints alleged her son Jayren Bradford’s death was caused by a “sneaker violence” culture that targeted Black youths. Jayren Bradford’s father, Thayren Bradford, also sued Shoe Palace in a cross-complaint that also is part of the tentative accord.
On Friday, lawyers informed Judge Douglas W. Stern that the two cases were tentatively resolved, but no terms were divulged. The judge scheduled a March 14 status conference for an update on the settlement. In October, Stern granted co-defendant Nike’s motion to be removed as a defendant in the case, dismissing the plaintiff’s claim for wrongful/death negligence as well as her survival action.
Los Angeles police previously said that on Aug. 11, 2021, an argument among a group of men and women began during a shoe raffle in front of the Melrose Avenue store. A co-worker called the off-duty Bradford for help and when he arrived around 12:30 p.m., he was confronted by the group, and a 16-year-old boy pulled out a gun and shot him.
Many flocked to the Nike raffle to win a chance at obtaining the right to purchase a pair of Nike limited-release sneakers and, in the end, a pair of Nike “Dunk Low” shoes, leading to Bradford’s death, according to the suit.
Jayren Bradford was artistic, kind-natured and generally liked by all, according to the suit, which further stated that his death caused his mother “indescribable pain and loss.”
But Nike and Nike USA garnered revenue of approximately $12.2 billion during the same time period, according to the complaint, which called the money the company earned “stained red by the tragic loss of Jayren.”
Shoe companies such as Nike capitalize on the magic of shoes and have intensified this mystique by placing prominent people of color at the center of their marketing efforts, much of which is targeted at those in the inner cities, the suit stated.
“Dubbed `sneaker violence’ by the mainstream media, this phenomenon plagues young people, especially those of color,” the suit states while also noting that Nike’s 1989 television and print advertisements featured Michael Jordan, widely admired in the Black community, and his Air Jordan shoe.
“The common thread of these particular advertisements was to `Be like Mike,”’ the suit stated. “To this end, shoes and their makers have created divides among races and social classes with the birth of specialty and designer sneakers like Nike Air Jordans, which have come to represent not only a fashion statement, but a symbol of status.”
But fashion status and “being like Mike” has come at a cost, and in 2015, 1,200 young Americans died because of violence surrounding shoes like the Nike Air Jordan and other popular brands, according to the suit.
None of the suit’s defendants implemented safety measures, policies, procedures or training, even though violence at Nike shoe release events is reasonably foreseeable, the suit alleged.
“As a result of these failures, Jayren lost his life, leaving his family, his girlfriend and his co-workers who witnessed the shooting in emotional turmoil,” according to the complaint.