SAN ANTONIO – The owner of a San Antonio bar is crediting his security team for reacting quickly to an early morning shooting Monday.
The shooting happened at Hills and Dales on the city’s Northwest Side near Loop 1604 and Babcock.
Justin Vitek, the owner of Hills & Dales Ice House, said he spends thousands of dollars on security measures and staff every year.
“Safety is our number one concern. We don’t want people to be scared to come here,” he said.
Vitek stood just feet away when a 20-year-old man shot a 25-year-old as a brawl broke out. He said the unidentified shooter didn’t have an ID on him.
Guns are not allowed at his bar, so Vitek is trying to figure out how the suspect got into the property.
“We’re thinking about maybe he breached the fence somewhere,” Vitek said.
Security staff members ran after the suspect and stopped him before police arrived. Police have not yet identified the man.
Vitek says he was shocked and saddened that the shooting happened at his business.
“This could have happened anywhere, and unfortunately, it happened here,” he said.
District 8 Councilman Manny Pelaez is concerned too. He’s been speaking with Vitek to see what can be done to protect residents near the bar. Pelaez said he’s concerned about the overall increase in gun violence across the city.
“SAPD will tell you we’re seeing more and more incidents like this, at all businesses and throughout neighborhoods where that used to not happen before,” Pelaez said. “[The suspect] came in here with a plan to not follow the rules. He didn’t think the rules applied to him, and he found himself either causing trouble or embroiled in it.”
As the city council looks at a $3.1 billion budget, Pelaez said he would like the community to get involved in having a say in how they’d like to see their tax dollars used.
“Pay attention to what we are doing at City Hall,” Pelaez said.
Vitek says he’s re-evaluating how to improve the safety of his customers at his bar.
KSAT will update you with any new information about the shooting as it becomes available.
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