Lawsuit over teenager’s suicide at Scheels in Eden Prairie will go to trial
Teen suicide in Scheels lawsuit headed to trial
A judge has ruled that the lawsuit over a teenager’s suicide at an Eden Prairie sporting goods store in August 2022 will head to trial.
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (FOX 9) - The lawsuit over a teenager’s suicide at the Scheels in Eden Prairie in August 2022 will head to trial.
Jury to decide if store, employee are responsible for teen’s death
The backstory:
On Aug. 22, 2022, Jordan Markie, 19, walked into Scheels in Eden Prairie and inquired about a handgun. He eventually ran off with it, loaded it with ammunition and shot and killed himself
Surveillance video captured him arriving at the store, standing at the counter and eventually running away with the gun.
In August, his mother, Sarah Van Bogart, filed a lawsuit against the store and William Ballantyne, the employee who handed her son the gun, accusing both of negligence and wrongful death.
In April, District Court Judge Karen Janisch denied a motion to dismiss the lawsuit and later set a trial date.
What the lawsuit alleges:
In the lawsuit, Markie’s mother argues that the store and Ballantyne should have known that something was wrong and should not have handed the gun to her son. She described his behavior as "unusual" and said he was anxious, confused and fidgeting at the counter.
Van Bogart said Ballantyne never asked her son for identification or tried to determine whether it was appropriate to let him handle the gun, the lawsuit alleges.
In addition, the lawsuit points out that he was not 21, the age required to purchase a handgun.
Everytown Law, the legal branch of the gun control advocacy group Everytown, is involved in the lawsuit as one of the attorneys for Markie’s mother.
What they're saying:
Neither Scheels nor attorneys for Markie’s mother responded to requests for comment.
What's next:
The trial is scheduled to begin on Oct. 26, 2026, and conclude on Dec. 4, 2026.
In the meantime, attorneys on both sides will go through the discovery process, which involves gathering evidence.