San Diego police have confirmed that at least two LGBTQ+ hot spots in Hillcrest were the targets of drive-by pellet gun shootings this weekend that injured employees.
Shortly after midnight Saturday, the suspects fired pellets from a vehicle at The Rail Bar and Rich's Nightclub, located at 5th Street and University Avenue, respectively. San Diego police are currently investigating the incident and are looking into whether two other locations may have been targeted as well.
Surveillance video provided to NBC 7 by The Rail shows the moment the security guard was struck in the arm by a bullet. Bar owner Isaac Vargas said the incident immediately put his staff into defensive mode.
“So as soon as that happens, we're like, OK, close the patio and get everyone inside,” Vargas said.
No one else was injured in the incident, but police said it was one of at least two targeted pellet gun attacks on businesses in Hillcrest, a hub of San Diego's LGBTQ+ community. Just minutes later, San Diego police confirmed that Rich's nightclub had also been targeted.
Nightclub owner Ryan Bedrosian said several of his staff members were hit by projectiles, including Eddie Reynoso, who was shot near the eye. Surveillance video Rich provided to his NBC 7 captured the moment.
“They were passing by pretty fast and then slowed down. I saw two people hanging out outside the window and one of them seemed to be recording,” he said. “That's what got my attention, and I looked in the back seat and saw someone with what looked like an automatic weapon, so my reaction was to cringe,” Reynoso said. , by that time it was too late. They were already firing, and you know,” I heard a “pop, pop, pop, pop, pop.” ”
A few minutes later, he said he felt something explode and fell to the ground, thinking he had been shot.
“When something like that happens, your head flies back and you assume the worst,” Reynoso said.
Reynoso remembers people rushing to help him.
“The whole time, I thought whatever I felt exploded. I thought it was because of my eyes. It's just a horrible feeling,” Reynoso said.
He is grateful that his eyesight was intact.
“It could have been much worse, he could have sustained serious eye damage,” Reynoso said.
Reynoso is asking those responsible to consider the consequences of their actions.
“You really have to think about the consequences that something could go wrong in a split second, and I'm not kidding. “It can have a huge impact on many people, including the person shot and their families,” he said.
San Diego police are asking anyone with information to call the non-emergency number at 619-531-2000. Authorities have not yet determined a motive for the shooting or said whether the attack targeted LGBTQ+ businesses.
