GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Four people were injured after shots were fired outside a Grand Rapids bar early Friday morning.
The incident happened just before closing time at the New Roosevelt Bar on Grandville Avenue SW.
FOX 17 spoke with bar manager, Bryan Martinez, who said everyone was having a great time until the chaos broke out.
“We cut up the music and started letting people out,” Martinez said. “There was a ruckus outside that somebody had a gun.”
He said they closed the bar doors immediately and placed a security guard at each entrance, but it wasn’t enough.
“A group of four guys rushed the security guard and pushed the door open,” he said.
Then, Martinez said six shots were fired from outside, striking people inside of the bar.
That’s when he noticed his security guard had been shot in the leg. Martinez said he tied a belt around the man’s wound to stop the bleeding.
Officials tell us that among the injured, was a woman who was shot in the neck.
FOX 17 looked through past reports and found that this isn’t the first time violence has broke out at this bar. Back in November, Wellington Guevara was killed after he was shot two times in the chest outside of the establishment.
Martinez said Wellington was a good friend of his. He also said he’s done everything possible to keep his costumers safe.
“Padding people down completely from back to front, top to bottom,” he said. “Purses get checked. No coats are allowed.”
In addition to those safety measures, he said five security guards were on duty during Friday’s shooting.
“I run a good place,” Martinez said. “Service is great. I take care of my people like they’re my family.”
A family he said he wants to protect with solid security.
“If that means that I got to get a cop out here to watch people act a fool then that’s what needs to be done,” he said.
All victims from the shooting are expected to recover.
Police tell FOX 17 News that they do have leads as to who might have pulled the trigger, but that they still need help in tracking the suspects down.
Anyone with information is asked to call Silent Observer at 616-774-2345 or the Grand Rapids Police Department at 616-456-3604.
