ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Surveillance footage was released Wednesday after two people were injured by shrapnel when a gunman fired several shots early Tuesday morning outside a downtown St. Augustine bar, police said.
Officers responded just after 12:30 a.m. Tuesday to shots fired at the No Name Bar on South Castillo Drive, located across the street from Castillo de San Marcos.
While no one was shot, two people had minor injuries from shrapnel, according to the St. Augustine Police Department.
Crime scene tape could be seen around the bar, with several officers going in and out Tuesday morning, interviewing witnesses. Detectives were at the bar until early Tuesday afternoon, investigating what led up to the incident. By early Tuesday evening, the bar was open and things were back to normal.
Warren Merrill, who has owned No Name Bar since 2009, said he had never seen anything like this happen before.
"You get your typical little bar scuffles and things like that," he said.
The Police Department told News4Jax its Wildfire camera system captured the incident, along with cameras mounted outside the bar. On Wednesday, surveillance footage was released.
According to police, four people seen in the video about 11:50 p.m. Wednesday were told to leave the bar for a second time and the four caused a verbal altercation as they exited the bar and entered the Fort Parking Lot, where they left the area in a silver, newer model Ford Taurus that was seen heading northbound on South Castillo Drive.
About 50 minutes later, according to police, video shows one of the men involved in the original incident returning to the bar and pulling out a black semi-automatic pistol. Police said that man fired several shots from the sidewalk and roadway at the doorman and other patrons, but no one was struck by a bullet.
According to police, the man was with two other people when the shots were fired. Police described him as being a light-skinned black man, possibly in his late teens, with short dreadlocks. They said he was wearing a Gators shirt and dark-colored Adidas pants.
City Commissioner Nancy Sikes-Kline said what happened is unfortunate, but added she wasn’t completely surprised. After multiple violence incidents surrounding nightlife downtown, she and other city leaders are pushing for change and a safer environment.
"We are actively working on addressing nightlife issues in St. Augustine and we are not doing it alone. We are doing it with the business community," Sikes-Kline said. "We are into this effort and we are progressing with this effort and, so far, we are all cooperating very beautifully."
The owner of No Name Bar wants to reassure the community that he and his staff do all they can to keep customers safe. He said what happened was an unfortunate situation, but he is confident it's just a matter of time before police find the person responsible.
Anyone who recognizes the people seen in the video or who has information about the case is asked to call Detective Jeffery Collins at 904-209-3487 or email jcollins@staugpd.com.