‘I was looking down the barrel of the gun pretty much, and then I started trying to get people out of the way in case he started shooting,’ witness says
Police reopened Dunlop Street just before noon on Sunday following an overnight downtown Barrie shooting.
A witness recounted the frantic moments that occurred right before a 30-year-old Barrie man was rushed to a trauma center in Toronto with serious but stable injuries after being shot just before 3 a. m.
According to police, they received a call around 2:45 a. m. about an altercation outside a downtown nightclub on Dunlop Street East, situated between Owen and Mulcaster streets.
Authorities shared photos of the male suspect connected to the shooting and are asking for help from anyone who might recognize him from those images.
By 12:45 p. m. on Sunday, police communications coordinator Jennett Mays stated that the investigation is still active, and there are no updates available for the public at this time.
A local man who witnessed the incident expressed how shaken he felt afterward.
“I panicked, but I was more worried about everybody else,” said John, who chose not to disclose his last name.
The 50-year-old mentioned that there were around 100 people hanging out outside one of the bars on Dunlop Street West after closing time.
“They all streamed outside. And then after the gunfire went off, the bouncer from The Queens nightclub opened the door and allowed a bunch of us to run back inside,” John said.
Just before shots were fired, John observed that the man who got shot was near the entrance of Philthy Philly’s Cheesesteaks and Poutinerie next door to The Queens.
Police released photos of the suspect in a shooting on Dunlop Street East, between Owen and Mulcaster streets, which occurred around 2:45 a. m. Sunday morning. A 30-year-old man suffered serious injuries in the shooting. Barrie Police Service photo
“And then he was arguing with a light-skinned guy wearing a black jacket; that guy stepped back a few feet and pulled out a gun at waist level,” he recalled.
John mentioned that he was positioned behind the victim when he first saw the suspect brandishing his weapon at him.
“I was looking down the barrel of the gun pretty much, and then I started trying to get people out of harm’s way in case he started shooting,” he explained. “Then (the suspect’s) friends grabbed (him) and they took off east on Dunlop Street.”
He described witnessing some girls getting into an argument shortly before hearing what sounded like gunfire – “it sounded muffled like fireworks.”
John estimated that there were about three to five minutes between when they first saw the gun drawn and when it went off.
“He had it out threatening them or something,” John added. “He showed it off like ‘hey, I’m tough or something; you better step back.’”
“I was telling people to hide behind a brick wall away from where they could be hit. Then after those girls started fighting again, we heard that loud pop,” he continued.
Panic broke out after that moment according to John; many witnesses were present as several girls were seen crying at a street corner nearby.
John approached someone who turned out to be engaged to the victim.
“I had to hold her back so paramedics could do their jobs,” he said. “I tried calming her down because they needed space to save his life.”
He watched as an officer placed bandages on both entry and exit wounds on the victim’s body until an ambulance arrived for transport to local hospital care.
Later on, John accompanied both victims’ fiancée along with their friends over to Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH).
“I stayed with them for some time until his parents showed up,” he shared.
The police indicated earlier today through news release that this incident appears isolated; “police do not believe there is any ongoing threat toward public safety right now.”
If anyone has information regarding this situation, police encourage reaching out directly to major crime unit investigators at 705-725-7025 ext. 2160.
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