Dishawn Marquise Lee Herndon was killed on Jan. 26 after a fight inside the Blue Flame Lounge spilled into the nearby parking lot.

ATLANTA — More than two months after a man was shot and killed outside of an Atlanta gentlemen's club, attorneys for his family have filed a lawsuit against the lounge.

Dishawn Marquise Lee Herndon was killed on Jan. 26 after a fight inside the Blue Flame Lounge spilled into the nearby parking lot by Harwell Road, according to Atlanta Police Department. Officers said they found the 21-year-old lifeless with a gunshot wound. 

Herndon's father, Robin Herndon, is now suing the lounge on the premise that it did not have adequate security, adding the club's negligence led to his son's death. Reynolds Law Group is representing Herndon and filed the lawsuit on March 30.

Court documents refer to the previous incidents at the adult entertainment lounge, adding that law enforcement has been called to the business several times, indicating "a significant number of crimes were committed either on the premises of the Blue Flame, on its approaches or in the immediate vicinity." 

In March of last year, police said someone opened fire at the club from their car -- injuring three victims. In September 2020, two others were hit by gunfire following a fight outside the club. In February of the same year, a man was shot and killed outside of the club, according to reporting from 11Alive.

Attorneys representing Herndon said with the string of crimes that have happened by the lounge, the business "negligently failed to take any action whatsoever to provide reasonable and adequate security," nor do they warn guests of the prevalence of criminal activity in the area.

"When you own a venue that is open to the public you have a duty to provide adequate safety measures for your customers' safety," attorneys for Herndon said in a statement.

Due to the business's negligence, the lawsuit alleges that Herndon's family suffered economic damages such as financial loss, funeral and burial expenses, and reasonable value of household services -- apart from losing the love and companionship of a loved one.

"As a direct and proximate result of Blue Flame's conduct, Decedent was shot and killed while on the premises," Herndon's attorney wrote in the lawsuit.

Attorneys said the Herndon family sustained special damages in excess of $20,000, attorneys and fees and expenses, among other punitive damages.

"When you know you have a problem with violent crime and shootings are occurring over and over and over again, you have to figure out how to fix that problem. When you don't invest the necessary time and resources to stop the violence, people get hurt and lives are lost. We simply can't allow this to continue unchecked," Herndon's attorneys said in a statement.

11Alive has reached out to Blue Fame Lounge for comment and has not heard back.