One dead, four wounded in bar shooting

Jace Radke and Keith Paul

Monday, May 1, 2000 | 11:22 a.m.

Metro Police homicide detectives continue to investigate a Saturday morning bar shooting that left one man dead and four others wounded.

About 4:20 a.m. police were sent to the Runway 21 bar, 4955 E. Craig Road, after getting reports of an fight between the bar's security and some customers, homicide Sgt. Rocky Alby said.

Patrol officers found five people had been shot when they arrived, including a security guard. The five victims were taken to University Medical Center, where the security guard died from a gunshot wound in the chest, Alby said. The security guard's name was not released this morning until his family can be notified.

Witnesses told detectives that the security officer was escorting a group of men out of the bar after an argument, Alby said. Once outside, one of the men went to a car, got a handgun and began firing.

The security guard was shot and several other bullets flew into the bar, hitting four other people, Alby said.

Three of the gunshot victims were treated at the hospital and released. A 24-year-old woman was listed in fair condition this morning.

Detectives say that many of the people in the bar left before police arrived.

It's not the first time an expelled bar patron has returned with a weapon. On Dec. 10 a man was kicked out of El Potrero, 1243 E. Sahara Ave., only to return and fire several shots at the bar's front door area, police said.

A 29-year-old man later died from gunshot wounds from that shooting and two others were injured, but survived their injuries.

In October 1998 a security guard was shot and killed at the Silver Saddle Saloon, 2501 E. Charleston Blvd., in what detectives believe was retaliation for the death of a man who was shot and killed by one of the bar's security guards in September 1998.

Everett Hicks was shot and killed by a sniper using a high-powered rifle, police said.