Demario Lequan Hollingsworth, a 23-year-old from Tallahassee, Florida, tragically lost his life on July 30, 2015. He was found with gunshot wounds near the 1300 building of Aqua Park Apartments at 2677 Old Bainbridge Road around 3 a.m. that night. Hollingsworth was not a resident of the complex but was visiting at the time. The Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) released a grainy photo in December 2015 depicting a person of interest in the case, but no arrests were made. The investigation revealed that Hollingsworth was involved in an argument with an unidentified man before the shooting occurred.
In the aftermath of his death, Hollingsworth's mother, Laine Gibson, filed a lawsuit on July 7, 2017, against the companies responsible for the management and security of Aqua Park Apartments. The lawsuit named Collegium TLH, LLC, Highland Student Housing Holdings, LLC, and Special Security Strategies, LLC as defendants, alleging negligence in failing to provide a safe environment for residents and guests. The suit claimed that the companies should have known that the premises and the surrounding area were high-crime zones. None of the companies being sued were based in the Tallahassee area, with Collegium TLH located in Boca Raton, Highland Student Housing in Dover, Delaware, and Special Security Strategies in Jacksonville.
Despite the ongoing legal battle, the case remains unsolved, and the person responsible for Hollingsworth's death has not been identified. The TPD continues to seek the public's help in identifying the suspect, urging anyone with information to come forward. The tragic loss of Demario Lequan Hollingsworth has left his family seeking justice and closure, as they navigate the complexities of the legal system and the emotional toll of their loss.
