The San Diego community is in shock after an attacker fired a pellet gun at four LGBTQ+ bars around 1 a.m. Saturday morning.
Local police told CBS 8 the assailant shot from a vehicle, which witnesses believe was a BMW. Police confirmed the following locations were targeted: Rich’s, The Rail, #1 on Fifth Avenue, and PCES.
Eddie Reynoso, a host at Rich’s, was standing outside when the shots went off. He told CBS 8 he heard someone yelling slurs at the patrons and saw what he believed to be an AK-47. Shots rang out. He tried to duck but it was too late.
“I get hit directly in the eye,” he said. “I feel something kinda like explode almost like something popped. And by then I was already falling to the ground. In my mind, I thought I just got shot through the eye and my eye just flew out.”
Another man named Abel was shot at least five times outside Rich’s. It’s unclear if he worked there or was a patron.
Donny Hurry, a security guard at The Rail, saw the attacker shooting from the backseat of a car. He says the suspect began shooting at him. He was hit in the arms and back multiple times before he was able to run inside. He went back outside to get a description of the vehicle and attacker before they drove off.
Stefano Contreras was also standing outside The Rail smoking, when he felt the pellets. He was hit in the back and the face multiple times.
Police have not officially declared the shootings a hate crime. Police also say they are still investigating what the non-lethal rounds were, possibly balls or paintballs. No description of the attacker or the vehicle has been released.
Izan Corso was at the Rail when the attacker fired. He described the attack as a violation against the queer community.
“This is obviously a safe space,” he said. “So the fact that people can just come in from outside and sort of make it feel unsafe is just unfortunate.”
What Do You Think?