Five people shot at downtown Pensacola night club. Police believe attack was 'targeted'
Five people were shot in a night club in downtown Pensacola shortly past midnight Saturday morning, according to police.
All five victims, men and women ranging from 21 to 45 years old, sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Police had yet to identify a shooting suspect as of 5 p.m. Saturday, and no arrests had been made.
The shooting occurred around 12:35 a.m. Saturday at The Pelicans Nest, a self-described dance club with a hookah lounge, located at 15 East Intendencia St. in downtown Pensacola.
Pensacola Police Department spokesman Officer Gregory Gordon told the News Journal that while investigators were still gathering evidence, initial information complied by detectives pointed to there having been a lone gunman involved in the shooting.
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"Detectives are still working through this complex situation to determine exactly what took place. It’s believed the shooting was a targeted incident, and there are no safety concerns towards the public," a statement from the PPD said. "This investigation is a priority for the department to continue ensuring the community's safety and quality of life."
Although the shooting occurred inside the building, police officers located three victims outside the building in the club’s parking lot upon their arrival at the scene, Gordon said.
A fourth victim arrived at a local hospital a short time later, followed by a fifth victim’s arrival at another unidentified medical facility.
“Thank goodness that no more have shown up,” Gordon told the News Journal.
While first responders at first believed one of the victims to have been in “critical condition,” the person’s medical status was downgraded after being assessed by doctors, Gordon said.
Detectives were unable to identify a motive for the attack immediately following the shooting.
“All we have is that it was a black male,” Gordon said. “We do not have a motive.”
He later added, “There were a lot of people in there. If anybody saw something or knows something, give us a call.”
Anyone with any information about the shooting have been asked to call the Pensacola Police Department at 850-435-1845 or Crime Stoppers at 850-433-7867.
Colin Warren-Hicks can be reached at colinwarrenhicks@pnj.com or 850-435-8680.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: PPD: Five people shot at downtown Pensacola night club Saturday
