— News and Commentary —
Good Guy With A Gun Thwarts Shooter In Restaurant
A good guy with a gun stopped a shooter inside a Texas restaurant before any further carnage occurred.
The shooter, identified as 48-year-old James Jones, entered the Zona Caliente Sports Bar and Grill in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday evening and began “yelling and making incoherent, strange statements,” according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Cesar Perez, the 37-year-old manager of the bar, attempted to de-escalate the situation by trying to get Jones to relax, but Jones shot and killed Perez.
“Before Cesar could ask if everything was OK, he was shot,” Lucia Garcia, a manager at the restaurant, told the Star-Telegram.
At that point, an unidentified man who was eating with his wife inside the restaurant, pulled out his firearm and fired at Jones’ back. Unaware of who was shooting at him, Jones fired gunshots at the front door before collapsing and dying from his wounds.
Authorities believe the shooting was a “random attack” and that Jones did not know Perez. Investigators are trying to determine if the shooter suffered from any mental illness or was on some sort of substance.
Jones did not have a license to carry his firearm; in fact, he had an additional gun and two knives on him. The good guy with a gun did have a concealed carry license and is not expected to face any charges.
Chris Cook, the Arlington Police Chief, told NBC News that Jones “definitely had the capacity, if he wanted, to commit further violence and potentially kill other patrons in the business.” He also told the Star-Telegram that the good guy with a gun “decided to engage the shooter because he wanted to prevent further loss of life.”
A vigil for Perez was held outside of Zona Caliente on Thursday; the restaurant will remain closed indefinitely.
It does indeed appear that the good guy with a gun ended the situation before Jones had an opportunity to cause more harm, which yet again shows the importance of being armed and ready against perpetuators of violence.
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