Family of Garfield High student fatally shot on campus sues Seattle Public Schools

The family of a 17-year-old Garfield High School student shot and killed at lunchtime last year is suing Seattle Public Schools, alleging negligence.

Amarr Murphy-Paine was killed on June 6 after witnesses say he broke up a fight outside the school. The lawsuit points to the school’s open campus lunch policy, which allows students to leave the building midday. On the day Murphy-Paine was killed, the legal complaint alleges, the open campus policy allowed a former student to come onto the Garfield grounds and shoot him.

Seattle Police has made no arrests in the case, which is still under investigation.

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Amarr Murphy-Paine's father, Arron Murphy-Paine, said the district should have done more to keep students safe given recent violence around the school, including a student shot across the street months earlier.

“There was a lot of things going on for a while outside of Garfield, and more safety has to be brought to these schools,” Arron Murphy-Paine said. “We don't want no more Amarrs, or any other young people lost at school, during school hours, in the custody of the school district. That’s not how it’s supposed to go.”

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Felix Luna, an attorney for the family, said the suit focuses on the district’s “failure to adequately respond, the failure to have adequate security, the failure to protect students in general, and our clients’ son in particular.”

Seattle Public Schools did not respond to a request for comment.

Amarr Murphy-Paine’s family is asking anyone with information about the case to call SPD’s Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000.