NASHVILLE, TN – (Story Courtesy of WSMV / WVLT) – Less than a week after an explosion killed 16 people in Tennessee, attorneys have filed a multi-million-dollar wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of a victim’s surviving 9-year-old daughter.
Authorities released the names of those presumed dead this week. One of those victims was Jeremy Moore, whose daughter is now being represented by Hughes & Coleman, according to a press release from the law firm.
The lawsuit accuses the facility’s owner of being responsible for the explosion due to gross negligence, and it requests up to $12 million in compensatory and punitive damages.
“Those killed were hardworking, devoted employees who should be enjoying their lives,” said lead attorney Lee Coleman of Hughes & Coleman. “Instead, their loved ones are planning funerals and memorials in their memory.”
The explosion on Friday leveled a building at Accurate Energetic Systems (AES), an explosives processing plant in McEwen. Officials say it could take months to determine the cause of the blast.
They are still working to identify remains at the scene.
“This is a disaster of epic proportions,” the lead attorney said. “This explosion involved ultrahazardous materials, and the devastation it caused impacts dozens, if not hundreds, of lives. The loved ones will be in mourning for years, and our clients are still shocked by this horrible tragedy.”
The law firm said it is partnering with Armstrong Lee & Baker and Terry Bryant, PLLC to investigate the explosion. The child’s mother and her friend, Cheyanne Towry, brought the suit on behalf of Moore’s daughter.
“Cheyanne describes him a very active father and that she and Jeremy had a great co-parenting relationship,” an attorney wrote in an email to WSMV4.
The suit is directed at AAC Investments, LLC. According to state business records, the McEwen business was first filed in 1980 and is registered under John Sonday, whose address is the same one listed on the AES website. Records from January say that the LLC has two members.
The lawsuit alleges that defendant AAC Investments, LLC, who it lists as the owner of AES, is responsible for the explosion.
“The explosion occurred because Defendant AAC failed to maintain a reasonably safe factory for the fabrication, storage and handling of explosives and explosive materials,” court documents say.
The suit accuses AAC Investments, LLC, of gross negligence, saying among many complaints that the facility failed to maintain safety rules, “recognize and remediate hazards” and “warn of a known hazard.”
“Defendant had actual, subjective awareness of the risk, but proceeded with conscious indifferent to the rights, safety and welfare of the Decedent,” the lawsuit said.
AES initially published a statement on its website in the aftermath of the blast, calling the incident a “tragic accident.”
Since then, the organization has updated its website to call it a “tragic explosion” and say that the company is “committed to learning what caused this unprecedented tragedy.” The organization said it is focused on supporting its “team, their families and our community as we grieve together.” See the full statement here. (https://www.aesys.biz/)
Explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems kills 16, shocks community
The catastrophic explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems (AES) has stunned what local leaders describe as a tight-knit and small community, personally touching emergency responders and even law enforcement.
The emotional toll of the loss was palpable as Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis shared multiple updates in the wake of the blast. The sheriff teared up multiple times over the weekend, explaining that he and other first responders were friends with AES employees and their families.
Officials released the following list of victim names in the deadly this week:
- Jason Adams
- Billy Baker
- Christopher Clark
- James Cook
- LaTeisha Mays
- Melinda Rainey
- Trenton Stewart
- Steven Wright
- Erick Anderson
- Adam Boatman
- Mindy Clifton
- Reyna Gillahan
- Jeremy Moore
- Melissa Stanford
- Rachel Woodall
- Donald Yowell
Federal authorities join a multi-agency response and investigation
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) said a total of 18 local, state and federal agencies are responding to investigate the fatal explosion.
Some of the agencies include the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office and the National Response Team (NRT) for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
An ATF spokesperson said the NRT touched down Saturday afternoon in Hickman County to investigate and identify the cause of the explosion.
“The team’s primary responsibility will be leading the investigation into the origin and cause of the explosion, including analyzing, processing and documenting the scene,” said a Facebook post from the Humphreys County EMA.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee visited the site of the blast and spoke with investigators Sunday. He said the investigation could take months.
Officials said they need to go slower than anticipated. A spokesperson for ATF explained that when explosives are subjected to an explosion or heat, they can change.
A chopper and ambulance were brought to the scene for precautionary measures in case an unexpected accident impacts first responders, according to the Hickman and Humphreys Counties sheriffs.
Despite their caution on site, officials clarified that there is no risk to anyone outside the facility.
A history of alleged TOSHA violations, employee seizures and a previous explosion
Friday’s explosion isn’t the facility’s first.
According to the company’s website, Accurate Energetic Systems, LLC, was established in 1980 and “is dedicated to the development, manufacture, handling, and storage of high-quality energetic products utilized in both defense and commercial markets.”
About 11 years ago, a man was killed and four were injured at the facility after an explosion. That incident happened in the ammunition area, and it sparked a fire at the plant and an outside building.
TOSHA documents also show the facility was accused of code violations and multiple employees experiencing seizures after working shifts there.
“The TOSHA inspection found that employees were exposed to a hazardous chemical, clyclonite (RDX), which could result in central nervous system impairment,” a report from the state agency said.
A spokesperson for the state agency said TOSHA inspected the facility in April of 2019, and documents from that time showed that the state found multiple citations for “serious” code violations.
TOSHA reported that five employees “experienced central nervous system impairment” following shifts at the “Hot House,” where employees worked with powdered cyclonite.
“While performing this work, employees had the potential to be exposed to cyclonite (RDX) through inhalation, ingestion, and absorption through the skin,” the report said.
Three employees had seizures a day after working in the “Hot House.” Two happened on the Accurate Energetic Systems premises, and the third happened at the employee’s home.
“Wipe samples taken during the inspection from exposed skin of two employees in the ‘Hot House’ and the surfaces in the affected employees’ break room were positive for cyclonite,” the documents said.
The TOSHA report also accused the employer of failing to warn employees of the dangers of cyclonite, provide them adequate protective equipment or train them on how to avoid exposure to hazardous chemicals.
TOSHA pushed for a $7,200 fine for the alleged infractions.
At the time, legal representatives for Accurate Energetic Systems objected to the citations, defending the company’s training practices and noting that air tests found the level off RDX to be below the safe limits and wipe samples to be “infinitesimally small.”
The complaints were ultimately resolved with a 2023 settlement in which Accurate Energetic Systems agreed to implement several safety improvements and TOSHA reduced the violations.
The year after the alleged violations, in 2020, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development announced an AES expansion in McEwen, near Bucksnort.
The expansion was set to create 80 jobs at the 1,300-acre site in Humphreys and Hickman counties.
That site is where AES operates a full lab and test range, according to TDECD.
‘It’s gone’: Drone footage shows catastrophic blast site
Newly released drone footage shows nothing but rubble and soot at the former site of an Accurate Energetic Systems facility.
Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said Friday that the devastation was startling.
“Can I describe the building? There’s nothing to describe, it’s gone,” he said. “It’s the most devastating scene that I’ve seen in my career.”
Residents support each other in grief
Humphreys County Schools students and staff started receiving counseling Monday in the wake of the tragedy.
“As a community, we are heartbroken by the devastating plant explosion that occurred on Friday, October 10. Our hearts are with every person and family touched by this tragedy,” a Facebook post from the district said. “We know many in our school family have been directly affected, and we are holding you close during this unimaginable time.”
The district said it is aware that those who were missing after the explosion were members of the community — whether as Humphreys County graduates or loved ones of students and staff.
“Beginning Monday, our schools will have a range of supports available for students and staff. School counselors, Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Liaisons, and Centerstone therapists will be on-site to provide care and comfort,“ the district post said. ”Whether students or staff need a quiet space to talk, help processing emotions, or guidance on how to support others, these professionals are here to listen and help.”
As recovery efforts at site of TN explosion move at ‘snail’s pace,’ frustrated families push for answers
In the week since the devastating explosion at the munitions plant in Humphreys County, victims’ families say they are growing increasingly frustrated as the investigation moves at what officials describe as a “snail’s pace.”
Among those presumed dead is Reyna Gillahan, whose son Marco expressed his frustration with the pace of the recovery efforts.
“I was very frustrated. I got very upset. I was mad. I wanted to know where mom was, why they didn’t take the rubble off,” Marco Gillahan said.
He remembered his mother as a hard worker who sacrificed for her family, with her primary goal being to pay off the family home.
“We’re going to honor her by paying the house off and following through with her wishes,” he said.
The Mays family is also seeking answers about their loved one, 26-year-old Lateisha Mays, who had worked at the facility for eight months.
“They make bombs here. Why is there not a bomb squad closer for instances like these?” a family member asked. “For you to say there’s no survivors, you’re not certain until you check the whole premises.”
Lateisha’s family described her as “the glue to our family” and “amazing.”
