Family of Strongsville Costco shooting victim sues trucking companies, alleging missed warning signs

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio (WOIO) – The family of a Costco employee shot and killed outside the Strongsville store is seeking accountability through a wrongful death lawsuit against the accused shooter, three trucking companies and a company owner.

The estate of Randolph “Randy” Corrigan filed the lawsuit Nov. 9 in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. It alleges that the businesses and owner knew or should have known about Christian Bryant’s prior firearm-related conduct before allowing him to drive a commercial truck.

Bryant is charged with murder and felonious assault in a separate criminal case. The civil lawsuit’s allegations have not been decided by a court.

“Randy Corrigan never should have died,” said Spencer Hattemer, a lawyer with Cooper Elliott and an attorney representing Corrigan’s estate.

Corrigan, 61, was on a break outside the Strongsville Costco on April 25 when prosecutors say he saw Bryant approach the store with a gun.

According to earlier reporting by 19 News, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley said Bryant had parked a commercial truck outside the store and walked toward the entrance with a firearm equipped with a 50-round drum magazine.

O’Malley said Corrigan tried to stop Bryant from getting closer to the entrance. The prosecutor said Bryant shot Corrigan multiple times and shot him again after he fell. Corrigan was taken to MetroHealth Medical Center, where he died.

The prosecutor also said a knife was found near Corrigan.

Bryant was indicted on two counts of murder and two counts of felonious assault.

The lawsuit names Denemo One Inc., Geneses One, LLC, Cadence Truck and Trailer Leasing, LLC and Mirabela Ene, as well as Bryant. The complaint alleges Denemo employed and dispatched Bryant, Geneses provided the trailer, and Cadence provided the tractor. It also alleges Ene owned or controlled Denemo and Geneses and had authority over hiring and operational decisions.

The estate alleges that in October 2025, while driving for another carrier in Texas, Bryant was recorded by an in-cab camera holding a gun to his face and pointing it at passing motorists.

A Texas sheriff’s probable cause affidavit attached to the lawsuit says deputies reviewed footage showing Bryant pointing a pistol at passing vehicles. The affidavit says he was arrested on an unlawful carrying of weapons charge. The disposition of that charge was not established in the material reviewed for this story.

The complaint also alleges Bryant was involved in another firearm-related incident near Indianapolis in January 2026 while driving for a different carrier. The lawsuit provides few details about that allegation.

The estate argues that the trucking defendants and Ene knew or should have known about Bryant’s alleged prior conduct and were negligent in hiring, retaining, supervising or providing equipment to him.

Hattemer said the discovery process will be used to seek information about what the companies knew.

“What we found out is that driver (Bryant) had a history of menacing other drivers in his tractor trailer on the road on highways across America. So, a company should have found that out. A company should have made sure that driver was never on the road in one of their trucks and that he never ended up in Ohio with his truck and with his gun, Hattemer said. “We’ll find out through the discovery process exactly what each company understood.”

Hattemer described Corrigan as a trusted, longtime Costco employee and the sole caregiver for his mother.

“He was somebody that everybody he worked with trusted,” Hattemer said. “And he was the sole caregiver for his mom. So, his mom’s 86, and now she’s without her son, who was there every day taking care of her.”

In previous reporting, neighbors remembered Corrigan as caring and generous. One neighbor said he enjoyed Jeeps, helped look after neighbors’ homes and made sure his mother was protected.

Hattemer said the family hopes the lawsuit will hold those responsible accountable and help prevent another tragedy.

“Nothing’s gonna change what happened. Nothing’s gonna bring Randy back. But what the family wants to make sure is that companies understand that they can’t sit there and do nothing and allow something like this to happen. So they want to make sure there’s accountability so that this doesn’t happen again.” Hattemer said.