Family of assistant principal fatally shot in Loop high-rise last year demands answers and expands its civil lawsuit

The family of Abnerd Joseph, an assistant principal who was shot and killed inside a residential building in the Loop last year, has filed a civil lawsuit against the building’s homeowners association, the family and their attorneys announced Monday.

Joseph, an Atlanta native who was an assistant principal at Intrinsic High School, was shot and killed last September while allegedly undergoing a mental breakdown after changing medications, a family attorney said.

“Witnesses say Abnerd was under emotional distress, he was in the hallways of the building knocking on doors asking for help saying that he was concerned for his safety,” said Jason Friedl, one of the family’s lawyers.

Joseph, 32, was fatally shot Sept. 14, 2023, around 7:30 p.m. in a hallway on the 48th floor of a building in the first block of East Monroe Street, which police listed as his address. Joseph worked as an assistant principal at the Intrinsic Schools’ downtown campus, where some students remembered him as a positive influence who made everyone feel welcome.

Siblings of Joseph gathered with their attorneys on Monday morning, almost a year after his death, to urge the Cook County state’s attorney’s office to complete its investigation and file criminal charges in the case. The family’s complaint alleges that the building staff at The Legacy at Millennium Park building “freely allowed an armed resident to patrol the hallways of the luxury condo building and act as a vigilante” the night Joseph was killed.

In May, Joseph’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the alleged gunman, building management and its security, saying they “violated policies and common sense.”

The Legacy at Millennium Park Condominium Association declined to comment on Monday.

According to Friedl, the shooter was another resident in the building who shot at Joseph seven times, striking him six times and killing him before police officers had the chance to arrive and use their training in de-escalation and crisis intervention.

The updated civil lawsuit now includes the homeowners association as new defendants to determine if it has bylaws that played a part in building security allegedly escorting the armed resident to Joseph, according to the attorneys.

“Abnerd’s death at 32 was truly senseless and truly preventable. The building staff responsible to respond to resident’s emergencies failed in their duty to protect residents and involve authorities when needed,” added Friedl.

The Cook County state’s attorney’s office said the investigation is ongoing and provided no more details on the case.

Joseph’s siblings said they’re desperate and frustrated that the shooter has not been arrested.

“I didn’t think it would take this long,” Jay Charles, Joseph’s brother, said. “With so much evidence presented I don’t see why the investigation is still ongoing.”

A police report obtained by the Tribune noted Joseph was knocking on residents’ doors at The Legacy at Millennium Park, “causing a disturbance” before the shooting on the 48th floor. The report said Joseph punched a security guard and a resident who approached him because of his “erratic behavior.”

A third man, a resident of the building who has a concealed carry license, then fatally shot Joseph with a semiautomatic pistol, the report said. Police arrested the 45-year-old man, but released him soon after without charges.

Joseph, who was shot in the chest, forearm, abdomen and lower back, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where he died. The Cook County medical examiner’s office ruled his death a homicide.

Before joining Intrinsic Schools in 2022, Joseph worked in Atlanta as a school administrator and a math and science teacher, according to his staff page on the school’s website. According to his biography, Joseph had been pursuing his master’s in educational leadership at Georgia State University.