Quick action by staff and patrons at an Asheville gay bar helped prevent injuries after a man returned to the business with a firearm and opened fire early Wednesday morning.
Officers with the Asheville Police Department responded around 1:57 a.m. July 16 to reports of an active shooter outside Shakey’s, a longtime LGBTQ+ bar in downtown Asheville. When officers arrived, they encountered a man actively firing a handgun in the parking lot. Police said officers ordered the suspect to drop the weapon before opening fire, killing him at the scene. No patrons, employees or officers were injured.
The shooter has been identified by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation as 26-year-old Arturo Castillo Palomar.
According to a statement posted to the bar’s social media, staff had asked the man to leave the bar earlier in the evening because of what the business described as concerning behavior. The man later returned with a firearm and opened fire outside the business, prompting employees to move customers to safety.
“As soon as our staff and patrons recognized what was happening, everyone acted quickly,” the bar said in a statement posted to social media. “We got everyone inside, locked the doors, called 911, and followed the dispatcher’s instructions to get everyone down on the floor and away from the windows while we waited for law enforcement to arrive.”
“I was in the window watching, and then he started firing at the building where the window was,” Witness Taylor Pace told WLOS. “He literally pulls the gun up and starts shooting at the building. You hear them hitting the bricks, and at that point, I’m like, ‘Everyone get down.’ Everyone’s screaming. Panic, chaos, and fight or flight set in.”
Although no one inside Shakey’s was physically injured, the shooting rattled patrons at one of western North Carolina’s most popular gay bars. In their statement, the bar thanked patrons, employees and first responders for helping keep everyone safe during the incident.
“There are no words to fully express how grateful we are for our staff and patrons,” the statement read. “Because of everyone’s quick actions, cooperation, and concern for one another, every customer and every employee inside Shakey’s made it home safely.”
The bar also thanked Asheville police, Buncombe County emergency dispatchers and emergency medical personnel for their swift response, saying their actions helped bring the situation under control.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the officer-involved shooting, as is standard procedure in North Carolina. One Asheville police officer has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Investigators have not identified a motive for the shooting. Interim Police Chief Jackie Stepp said authorities have found no evidence at this time that the shooting was motivated by anti-LGBTQ+ bias.
“There is no evidence at this time that suggests the shooter had any type of bias or hate motive,” Stepp said.
Authorities have not said whether the suspect’s earlier removal from the bar was connected to his decision to return with a firearm. As the investigation continues, Shakey’s said it remains grateful that every patron and employee inside the bar made it home safely.
This story is brought to you by Rosedale Health and Wellness and Dudley’s Place.
