The family of a muralist who was killed by a gunman using a stolen federal officer's gun in Oakland two years ago is suing the U.S. government, according to the family's attorneys.
Antonio "Tonly" Ramos, a 27-year-old artist, was shot and killed with a stolen Immigration and Customs Enforcement firearm while voluntarily painting an anti-violence mural in downtown Oakland on Sept. 29, 2015.
The lawsuit, filed late Wednesday, blames Ramos' death on the government's failure to secure and protect their lethal firearms.
"From what we know, the gun was left in a bag in plain sight in a car parked in the SOMA neighborhood, which is a high-theft, high-crime area. It wasn’t in a lock box or secured or even put in the trunk of the car," said attorney Alison Cordova of Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, the law firm representing the Ramos family. "These are all steps that could have been taken to keep a lethal firearm out of the hands of a known gang member and prior convicted felon."
The Ramos family filed the suit with the hope that ICE will be held accountable and change their policies to better safeguard the lethal weapons that are entrusted to their care, the attorneys said.
