The family of an Indiana man who was stabbed to death on a Greyhound bus as it traveled on the Parkway East two years ago is suing the bus company for wrongful death.
Cozell McQueen Jr., who represents the estate of his father, filed the complaint on Wednesday in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court.
It seeks damages for lost and future earnings, as well as funeral costs.
According to the lawsuit, the bus left the Downtown Greyhound station for Washington, D.C., around 10:15 p.m. on July 30, 2023.
McQueen, 39, of Gary, Indiana, was killed about 15 minutes later while traveling on the Parkway East in Wilkins.
According to police, dozens of passengers on the bus said the attack was unprovoked, and that the suspect, Javon Garrett, 20, had been harassing other passengers earlier.
After the stabbing, the bus pulled over, and police were called.
Garrett told investigators that McQueen was “a demon,” who “took many souls.”
An expert who evaluated Garrett, who spent time in Torrance State Hospital for treatment after his arrest, said he had severe mental illness.
In March, Garrett pleaded guilty but mentally ill to third-degree murder. He was ordered to serve 10 to 30 years in state prison.
The lawsuit alleges that Greyhound failed to adequately screen Garrett for weapons and failed to have adequate policies governing safety on the bus — including not having on-board security.
Although the bus company has a policy that passengers may not bring weapons — including knives onboard — the lawsuit alleges that it does not enforce that requirement — either through x-rays, metal detectors or pat-downs.
“[W]hile Greyhound specifically prohibits items such as knives on its buses, it does not check, search, screen, monitor or assess passengers and/or baggage for such items,” the lawsuit said.
A message left with Greyhound was not immediately returned.
