Eight victims of a shooting at York University in early March have announced they will sue the school for damages caused by the incident.
Annie Malik and Namra Malik were injured when a gun was fired in a campus food court on March 6.
A lawyer representing the women and six others announced their plans to sue the school at a news conference Thursday morning.
"We are alleging, among other allegations, that York failed to maintain their university in a safe manner, and failed to keep these victims safe on their campus," lawyer Jeremy Diamond said at the conference.
The victims are seeking $20-million in compensation for physical pain and psychological trauma they say was caused by the shooting.
One of the victims called attention to the fact that the shooting didn't happen in a place where a student might typically feel unsafe, like a dark and deserted hallway.
She was sitting with friends in a brightly lit area at the "heart of York University" at the time of the incident.
"I was not expecting what happened that night," Annie Malik said, as she recounted the night that a bullet shattered a bone in her leg.
"It feels like my life has been put on hold," she said. "I really feel betrayed and let down by York University as they've jeopardized the security of not only me and my friends but over 50,000 students."
Malik's lawyers said, as part of the suit, they're investigating how security at York compares to other Toronto universities.
They'll also examine the school's policies and practices in light of other school shootings, such as Columbine High School in Colorado and Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, to determine whether they prompted any changes.
The lawyers said they're alleging that security was overlooked and the school was negligent. They said the school could have made efforts that would have deterred a shooting like the one in question.
Police have arrested one person in connection with the case.
Kemon Edwards, 22, been charged with eight offences in relation to the incident, including careless use of a firearm, discharging a firearm endangering life and aggravated assault.
Anyone with information is asked to call investigators at 416-808-3100 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).
