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Read the press release here.

Man Shot in Harlem Nightclub Sues Reality TV Star Owner

By Gustavo Solis | September 11, 2014 7:54am
 Gaskin, posing with his sister the night of the shooting (left), and Shameeka Green.
Gaskin, posing with his sister the night of the shooting (left), and Shameeka Green.
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Handout/Philip Monier

WEST HARLEM — A Washington Heights man and his cousin are suing Love & Hip Hop reality TV star Tahiry Jose after they were trampled and shot during a brawl in her now-shuttered nightclub, according to court records.

Edward Gaskin, 22, claims he was shot in the hand and his cousin Shameeka Green, 27, suffered unspecified injuries when she was trampled by a frightened crowd during a massive fight at Suite 135 at 701 West 135th St. on March 31, according to court records.

The suit charges that Jose and security contractors 5 Points Security endangered their customers by allowing a man to bring a gun into the club.

“This was a total failure on the part of the owners and operators of this club,” the victims' lawyer, Philip Monier, said.

Jose's business partner John Iacono was also named in the suit.

The nightclub's number is disconnected. Jose did not respond for comment and 5 Points Security could not be reached for comment.

No one has been arrested for the March shooting, according to the NYPD, but the club is now closed.

The suit asks for unspecified compensatory damages for severe personal injuries, the lawyer said.

"They are still being treated by their doctors,” Monier added. “It’s been about six months and they are still injured. It’s been difficult. He has a big bullet hole though his hand.”

There had been numerous incidents involving guests bringing weapons into the club, according to the complaint, which said the owners knew "the likelihood that a guest at the nightclub would bring a gun."

The security company failed to train its employees and failed to control the aftermath of the shooting, which led to Green being trampled by the crowd, the suit charges.

After the March shooting, the club’s manager Iman Hajismaiel told local residents at a meeting that a card scanner was broken and that there was no wand to check club guests for metal objects the night of the shooting.

He added that security that night included pat downs and he suspected the gun was hidden in the lining of a woman's bag.

Hajismaiel did not respond to a request for comment.