The 22-year-old Auburn graduate allegedly killed by her boyfriend’s father was accidentally shot as he showed off a loaded antique gun, according to a lawsuit filed by her parents.
Whitney Robeson — who had just started her dream job as a consultant — was killed as her boyfriend’s 54-year-old dad, Jeffrey Scott Towers, 54, showed her a .22 caliber revolver in the attic of his home in Titusville, Alabama in March, according to the lawsuit obtained by AL.com.
“Whether known or unknown to Towers, the firearm being handled was loaded, and as he displayed the weapon to Whitney and his son, a single shot was inadvertently discharged,” claims the lawsuit filed Friday by the dead graduate’s parents.
The bullet struck Robeson in the upper left side of her chest, “resulting in devastating injury to her left lung, heart and aorta,” according to the suit.
She was rushed to a local hospital where she died from the wounds. Her death has been ruled a homicide, and Towers was charged last week with manslaughter months after the shooting.
Robeson’s family sued Towers for negligence and is seeking unspecified damages for her death.
Towers should have inspected the gun to make sure it wasn’t loaded before showing it to Robeson, the suit claims.
Police have released few details about the March 7 shooting.
Towers’ attorneys have said “the facts will show that Mr. Towers has no criminal history, has been a productive and upstanding citizen for his entire life, and is not guilty of these charges.”
But Robeson’s family shot back through their attorney that “efforts to portray Mr. Towers as ‘innocent’ are not supported by the evidence in this case.”
Start your day with all you need to know
Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.
Thanks for signing up!
Robeson, a Virginia native, graduated from Auburn University in May 2025 with a degree in interior design. Just weeks before her death, she began her dream job as a trade consultant with Restoration Hardware, according to her obituary.
“Whitney was hitting her stride exactly the way we always knew she would. In her new role as a Trade Consultant at Restoration Hardware, this marvelous, independent woman was on the cusp of her successful career in interior design: the job she had always wanted since she was a little girl watching HGTV,” her obituary read.
Robeson was “grounded by her faith” and a member of the Delta Gamma sorority in college, her family added.
