A federal court has certified a class action for over 220 residents displaced by the 2023 Thanksgiving fire at The Reserve at LaVista Walk apartment complex in Atlanta.
Chief U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May issued the certification order on Nov. 19, 2025, stating that the central question of whether the defendants’ actions or omissions caused the fire applies to all residents.
“This certification means that hundreds of families will finally have their day in court,” Doug Dean, lead counsel for the plaintiffs at Dean Thaxton, LLC, said in a statement.
The tenants allege that the property’s owners and operators were aware of the building’s deficient fire-safety systems and failed to act.
Residents at LaVista Walks had complained about malfunctioning fire alarms, which triggered numerous false alarms, leading tenants to become desensitized.
On the night of the fire, some residents hesitated to evacuate, unsure whether the alarm was genuine. Former residents also claim that management knew individuals were accessing the parking deck and roof to discharge fireworks and firearms but took no preventative action.
Charnelle Gunn and Robert Stokes were arrested on arson and criminal property damage charges after shooting fireworks from the parking deck, which sparked the blaze.