GABRIEL STONE’S FAMILY FILES LAWSUIT FOLLOWING DEADLY AIR BASE WALL COLLAPSE
Gabriel Stone went to the Heritage Club pool on Robins Air Force Base in Georgia with his friends and his older sibling to go swimming. Unfortunately, the trip would prove to be fatal. While inside the pool’s bathhouse, he was killed by a collapsing wall. Now, his parents are suing so that others won’t have to deal with such an unfortunate tragedy.
New Lawsuit Filed in the Death of Gabriel Stone
A teenager swimming with friends and family should never end in tragedy, but sadly, such was the case for Gabriel Stone.
The fourteen-year-old died because a wall in the bathhouse collapsed. In total, its weight was over 3,000 lbs.
In addition to the death of Stone, his siblings and friends were also hurt. Now, the Stone family is filing a civil lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia.
"In filing this lawsuit, Gabriel Stone's parents want to ensure that no other family suffers such a senseless tragedy. What happened to Gabriel was totally preventable and may well have been avoided if even the most basic of inspections were conducted over the years," said attorneys Rod Edmond and Shofaetiyah Watson in a statement.
The new lawsuit claims negligence led to the tragic death of Stone after he and his friends grabbed the top of the partition wall, causing it to sway.
When it fell, Gabriel suffered fatal blunt force trauma. Another boy sustained serious injuries, including broken ribs and a punctured lung, while two others escaped with only minor wounds.
The lawsuit, filed by the Atlanta-based attorneys, alleges the Air Force and personnel failed to properly inspect, maintain, or repair the wall.
There is no disclosed figure released in the lawsuit filed by Stone's parents so far.
However, financial damages under the Federal Tort Claims Act and Georgia law, along with attorney fees and any other damages the court finds acceptable, are being sought.
The Wall May Not Have Been up to Code
While Stone's parents are filing a lawsuit, an accident investigation is already showing some damning accusations.
The Air Force publicly released a 28-page accident investigation board report earlier in 2025, with findings alleging that the partition wall didn’t have proper anchoring or construction.
If true, even being built in 1969, the construction of the wall would not be up to the Standard Building Code in place at the time.
The Air Force Has a Difference of Opinion
Even though an initial investigation shows the wall may not be up to code, the Air Force Materiel Command doesn’t believe that the collapse was due to falling over “after some external force was applied” rather than “a structural failure."
Still, it’s all a bit speculative, as the command believes the collapse was caused by multiple people climbing on the wall at the Heritage Pool after no one had been touching it previously.
The Tragedy of Gabriel Stone
Even though the Department of the Air Force remains tight-lipped on the pending litigation and may disagree on the reason for this tragedy, the key here is that regardless of fault, this is, in fact, a tragedy.
In a statement released by the family’s legal team, the following was stated:
"While nothing can bring Gabriel back, it is our hope through this litigation that Gabriel's family will get accountability and justice and that other lives may be saved."
Gabriel Stone, by all accounts, was a teen being a teen, looking for a bit of recreation and fun with those he loved.
This case is ongoing, but his family and loved ones, along with all of those affected, are in our thoughts and prayers. May he rest in peace.
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