Family Sues Twin Peaks and Jeremiah Matkins Over Fatal 2024 Huntsville Shooting of Ray’Shun Markelle Bates

The family of Ray’Shun Markelle Bates has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against TP-Huntsville LLC, which operates the Huntsville Twin Peaks restaurant, and Jeremiah Matkins, the man accused of killing Bates in a November 9, 2024 shooting.

Yolanda Baker and Kamilah Robinson, personal representatives of Bates’ estate, filed the suit on October 2, 2026, in Madison County Circuit Court in Alabama. The complaint also names unidentified “fictitious” defendants.

This is an individual lawsuit, not a class action. There is no settlement fund, claim form or filing deadline for the public. The allegations below are unproven, and no court has found Twin Peaks or anyone else legally responsible for Bates’ death.

Quick Facts: Ray’Shun Markelle Bates Twin Peaks Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Detail	Information
Victim	Ray’Shun Markelle Bates
Date of shooting	November 9, 2024
Location	Twin Peaks, University Drive, Huntsville, Alabama
Plaintiffs	Yolanda Baker and Kamilah Robinson, as personal representatives of Bates’ estate
Main defendants	TP-Huntsville LLC and Jeremiah Matkins
Other defendants	Unidentified “fictitious” parties, per reporting on the complaint
Court	Madison County Circuit Court, Alabama
Lawsuit filed	October 2, 2026
Claims reported	Wrongful death, negligence, wantonness, negligent hiring, training and supervision, security and customer-safety claims, and an Alabama Dram Shop Act claim
Damages	Unspecified, under Alabama’s wrongful death statute
Jury trial	Requested
Case number	Not independently verified from the public court materials reviewed
Settlement	None reported
Public claim form	None
Class action	No

The Madison County Circuit Clerk keeps the county’s circuit and district court records, and the court describes a records-request process for copies of case documents. The case-specific complaint and number were not retrievable from the public pages reviewed, so AllAboutLawyer is not publishing a case number.

What Happened to Ray’Shun Markelle Bates at Twin Peaks in Huntsville?

Bates was killed during a shooting at the Twin Peaks restaurant on University Drive in Huntsville on November 9, 2024. According to law-enforcement information released at the time, an argument between two groups escalated into gunfire. Authorities identified Matkins, then 21, as the person accused of shooting Bates. Two other people were injured.

An off-duty Huntsville police officer was working approved security at the restaurant. Authorities said the officer fired his weapon but did not hit anyone.

What Does the Bates Family Lawsuit Allege Against Twin Peaks?

As reported, the complaint alleges that:

• Bates was inside the restaurant when a dispute with Matkins began
• Matkins left, retrieved a firearm and returned to the property
• Twin Peaks had a policy against weapons but failed to stop Matkins from returning armed
• The restaurant lacked adequate security measures to prevent the shooting or respond to the confrontation
• The restaurant failed to adequately hire, train and supervise security personnel on altercations, weapons and dangerous customers

The suit does not only allege that Matkins pulled the trigger. It asks whether the restaurant had independent legal responsibility for conditions that allegedly allowed the shooting. Whether the claims meet Alabama law will be decided in the litigation.

What Does the Lawsuit Say About Alcohol Service Under Alabama’s Dram Shop Act?

The complaint reportedly includes a Dram Shop Act claim, alleging that Twin Peaks employees served Matkins alcohol while he was visibly intoxicated.

Alabama Code § 6-5-71 gives a civil cause of action in certain circumstances when a person knowingly sells, furnishes or serves alcohol to a visibly intoxicated individual and that service is the proximate cause of an injury or death. “Knowingly” means the provider knew or should have known under the circumstances. Visible intoxication must be shown from the totality of the circumstances, not speculation.

Not every injury involving an intoxicated customer creates liability for a restaurant. The estate must prove each element, including causation.

Who Is TP-Huntsville LLC, the Twin Peaks Defendant in the Bates Lawsuit?

The suit names TP-Huntsville LLC, the entity tied to the Huntsville Twin Peaks location, rather than the national brand. A brand and the entity that runs a single location can be different companies, so the claims concern the defendant named in the complaint, not every Twin Peaks restaurant.

Can a Restaurant Like Twin Peaks Be Held Liable for a Customer’s Shooting in Alabama?

In general, businesses can face premises-liability claims over third-party criminal acts when the violence was reasonably foreseeable and security was inadequate. Foreseeability often turns on evidence such as prior incidents, weapons history and security practices, so the evidence gathered in discovery matters. Twin Peaks can be expected to dispute foreseeability and may argue that Matkins’ criminal act was an independent cause of the death.

What Damages Is the Bates Family Seeking From Twin Peaks and Jeremiah Matkins?

The lawsuit reportedly seeks unspecified damages under Alabama’s wrongful death statute, and no dollar figure has been verified from the complaint. Alabama’s wrongful death statute, Ala. Code § 6-5-410, is generally understood to allow juries to award punitive damages only, not compensatory damages. A lawyer should confirm how that applies to this case.

What Happened in Jeremiah Matkins’ Criminal Case?

Matkins was arrested on November 10, 2024 and charged with murder. Contemporaneous reporting says he was released on a $100,000 bond on November 20, 2024. He later sought pretrial immunity based on self-defense, and a Madison County judge granted a request for an immunity hearing in December 2024. The prosecution disputed whether the court had jurisdiction to hold such a hearing at that stage.

The civil and criminal cases are separate. A criminal accusation is not a finding of civil liability, and a civil complaint’s allegations do not establish criminal guilt. Civil cases generally use a lower burden of proof than criminal cases.

What Happens Next in the Twin Peaks Wrongful Death Lawsuit?

1. Service. The defendants must be formally served with the lawsuit.
2. Responses. TP-Huntsville LLC and Matkins may answer or file motions challenging some or all claims, generally within 30 days of service.
3. Possible stay. Because a related criminal case may be pending, a defendant could ask the court to pause the civil case, for example over Fifth Amendment concerns during discovery.
4. Discovery. The parties can seek surveillance footage, security and incident records, employee records, communications and evidence about alcohol service.
5. Motions and settlement talks. Either side can ask the court to resolve issues before trial, and settlement can happen at any time. None has been reported.
6. Trial. If unresolved, the requested jury trial could decide disputed issues.

Is There a Twin Peaks Shooting Settlement or Claim Form?

No. This is an individual wrongful-death case brought by the estate. There is no public process for other Twin Peaks customers to submit claims. Do not enter personal information on any website offering a “Twin Peaks shooting settlement” claim form based on this lawsuit.

Can Other People Join the Bates Twin Peaks Lawsuit?

No. It is not a class action and concerns the death of Ray’Shun Markelle Bates. Someone hurt at another Twin Peaks location or in an unrelated incident does not become part of this case. People injured in the same incident would have their own separate legal rights and would need separate legal advice.

For background on how individual wrongful-death cases differ from public claims programs, see What Is A Wrongful Death Lawsuit? What You Must Know Before Filing and City Of Buffalo $4.5M Police Shooting Settlement Case Update.

Key Dates in the Ray’Shun Markelle Bates Twin Peaks Case

Date	Event
November 9, 2024	Shooting at Twin Peaks in Huntsville leaves Bates dead and two others injured
November 10, 2024	Jeremiah Matkins arrested and charged with murder
November 20, 2024	Matkins released on $100,000 bond, per contemporaneous reporting
December 2024	Judge granted a request for an immunity hearing on Matkins’ self-defense claim
October 2, 2026	Bates estate representatives filed the wrongful-death lawsuit in Madison County Circuit Court
October 3, 2026	Civil case newly filed; no settlement or public claim process reported

Frequently Asked Questions About the Ray’Shun Bates Twin Peaks Lawsuit

Who filed the Ray’Shun Markelle Bates wrongful-death lawsuit?

Yolanda Baker and Kamilah Robinson, as personal representatives of Bates’ estate.

Who is being sued in the Ray’Shun Bates Twin Peaks case?

TP-Huntsville LLC, which operates the Huntsville Twin Peaks, and Jeremiah Matkins, plus unidentified “fictitious” defendants.

What does the Bates family allege against Twin Peaks?

Inadequate security, failure to stop Matkins from returning with a firearm, failure to properly hire, train and supervise security personnel, and unlawful alcohol service under the Alabama Dram Shop Act.

What is Alabama’s Dram Shop Act?

Ala. Code § 6-5-71 allows a civil claim in specified circumstances when alcohol is knowingly served to a visibly intoxicated person and that service proximately causes an injury or death.

Is there a Twin Peaks settlement for the 2024 Huntsville shooting?

No settlement had been reported as of October 3, 2026, and there is no public claim form.

Is the Ray’Shun Bates lawsuit a class action?

No. It is an individual wrongful-death action by Bates’ estate.

How much money is the Bates family seeking?

The reported complaint states no specific dollar amount.

Has a court found Twin Peaks responsible for Bates’ death?

No. The lawsuit contains allegations only, and the defendants will have a chance to contest them.

Will Jeremiah Matkins’ criminal case affect the civil lawsuit?

It can. The cases are separate, but a defendant may ask the court to pause the civil case while the criminal case is pending.

What is the case number for the Ray’Shun Bates Twin Peaks lawsuit?

It was reported as filed in Madison County Circuit Court on October 2, 2026, but the number could not be verified from the public court materials reviewed, so AllAboutLawyer is not publishing one.

Disclaimer: This article is general legal information, not legal advice. Allegations from a civil complaint are not findings of fact or liability. Consult a licensed Alabama attorney about your situation.

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against the WAFF reports on the October 2, 2026 filing and the November 2024 shooting and arrest, the Madison County Circuit Court records information, and Ala. Code § 6-5-71, as of October 3, 2026. Last Updated: October 3, 2026.