Police Kill Man Who Allegedly Opened Fire on Gay Dive Bar
Staff and customers took cover inside Shakey's after an armed man allegedly opened fire from the parking lot.
Police in Asheville, North Carolina, shot and killed a man who allegedly opened fire on a gay bar from its parking lot after being kicked out of the establishment.
Shakey’s — which markets itself as a “gay dive bar for drag, karaoke, DJs, cheap drinks, patio hangs, dance parties, and late-night pizza” — said in a statement posted to Instagram that an individual “whose behavior caused concern” was asked to leave the bar during the early morning hours of Wednesday, July 15. He was later seen with a gun in the bar’s parking lot.
When staff and customers became aware of the armed man, they locked the doors, called 911, and followed the dispatcher’s instructions, moving everyone away from the windows and onto the floor. Gunshots were then fired outside the bar.
Asheville police officers arrived at the scene and returned fire, striking the man, who later died from his injuries, according to a post on the department’s official Facebook page. No officers were injured in the altercation.
In accordance with protocol, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation will investigate the officer-involved shooting. No additional information, including the name of the man who was killed, has been released.
Shakey’s confirmed that no staff members or customers were injured in the shooting. The bar reopened for regular business on Wednesday afternoon.
“For almost four years, Shakey’s has been a place where people come to feel safe, welcomed, and part of a community,” the bar wrote on Instagram. “Our hearts are with everyone who was there last night. Even when no one is physically hurt, experiences like this leave people shaken, and we know many of our staff, customers, neighbors, and first responders are still processing what happened today.”
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