'He could've killed us all': Man says he helped tackle suspect during Smiles Nite Club shooting in Florida
Paul Ibelli was at Smiles Nite Club in Palm Coast, Florida last weekend with friends when he found himself in the middle of a shooting – and had to step in and help tackle the alleged shooter.
"He walked to the front and he went ‘pow pow pow pow,'" Ibelli said, a regular at the bar.
Last Saturday, police were called to the bar after multiple people called 911 to report that a man began shooting inside the bar. Remarkably, no one was hurt, but a total of six bullet cases were found, indicating that at least six shots were fired, according to the police report.
Police said a man at the bar, identified as Connor Patrick Lee Anderson, was there with his girlfriend and became upset after he could not find his keys and was upset that his girlfriend did not know where they were. In an attempt to calm down, he walked out of the bar, police said.
However, Anderson came back inside – armed with a gun.
Surveillance video appears to show Anderson walk back into the bar and place the gun behind his back. He then grabs the woman at the bar from behind and places her in a choke hold, police said, before a bartender and other people inside the bar intervene.
The video showed a group of people tackle Anderson, who allegedly waved the gun in the air and fired a few rounds before getting up and walking to the front of the bar and then shooting a few more times.
Shocking surveillance video shows gunshots rang out inside Florida bar
WARNING: Viewer discretion advised | A Florida man upset that he lost his car keys walked into a Palm Coast bar and pointed a gun at a woman's head and then started shooting at people inside the bar. Deputies said customers ultimately tackled the suspect to the ground.
Ibelli was one of those who intervened.
"I pushed him off the girl and then Dave (the bartender) pushed him up the glass. Then he took it out. He had it, he was waving it in front of Dave’s head. Then he extended his arm like this, and POW! He fired off a round," he said.
"Dave, the bartender, he’s like, ‘Connor, what are you doing? You’ve got a gun? What are you doing?!" recalled Ibelli.
What was Ibelli thinking during all of this? "Holy s--t!' is what I was thinking," he said.
"He could've killed us all," he said.
Anderson was booked into jail on several charges, including shooting into a building, simple battery, aggravated assault, using a firearm while under the influence of alcohol, and improper exhibition of dangerous weapons or firearms, according to the arrest report.
(Photo via Flagler County Sheriff's Office)
Ibelli said he did not know that Anderson had a gun and if he had, he probably would not have intervened.
"In our minds, we were just going to bounce the dude out of there. Him pulling out a glock was like the furthest thing from anybody’s mind," he said.