Lawyer: Jury Awards $46M in Denny’s Shooting

A lawyer for a young man paralyzed from the waist down in a 2007 shooting in a Kent, Wash., restaurant says a jury has awarded more than $46 million to three victims.

Lawyer Ron Perey said that the majority of the money will go to 31-year-old Steve Tolenoa, who was partially paralyzed and has no use of his hands. Five people were wounded when 23-year-old Frank Lee Evans began shooting.

Evans was sentenced to 63 years in prison.

Three victims filed suit, alleging the Denny’s restaurant did not take steps to keep customers safe. An Associated Press phone message seeking comment from Denny’s Inc. was not immediately returned.

Perey says the award will allow Tolenoa to move out of a rehabilitation center and into a private home.