San Diego: Police increase presence after shotgun shooting

SAN DIEGO – San Diego police say there is an increased police presence in Hillcrest and surrounding neighborhoods this weekend following a series of shotgun attacks outside several LGBTQ bars last Saturday.

Police say they are investigating the attacks as possible hate crimes. The perpetrators have not yet been caught, but that isn’t stopping many people, including one of the victims, from hanging out in Hillcrest this weekend.

“We need our safe spaces. We need our clubs. We need a place to meet. Rich’s is not just a bar and I’m not just a gay guy,” says Eddie Reynoso, a longtime LGBTQ activist and employee at Rich’s Nightclub.

Surveillance video shows Reynoso being shot outside Rich’s, where he has worked for over a decade. His co-worker, Abel, was also shot. Reynoso says he actually saw the newer black car drive by and someone in the back seat had the gun.

“And I see the person holding on and loading a gun. Then you hear shots in rapid succession. Pop, pop, pop,” says Reynoso.

Reynoso was hit in the eye by a gel pellet. Doctors tell him that if he got a millimeter closer, he could have lost his sight. He shows CBS 8 his right eye, which is still bloodshot a week later. He says he could have gone blind, and when he saw the person pull out the gun and heard the shots, he thought he was going to be killed.

Police say Rich’s is one of four LGBTQ bars that were hit just after midnight on May 18. They say the gunman also fired shots at The Rail, Number One and Pec’s Bar in North Park. Investigators believe this is a possible hate crime. Reynoso believes this is the case. He says:

“Some of the bars that were hit are not necessarily well known,” Reynoso said. “They are known in the community, but you would have to do your research. Especially to plan a route so that a passenger in the back seat has a clear view.”

Reynoso is a member of the SDPD’s LGBTQ+ Community Advisory Board. He says he trusts police to take shootings seriously. Even though it was a pellet gun and no one was killed, they may not be so lucky next time.

It makes him nervous to be back in the place where it happened, but he must move on and stand up against hatred and violence towards his community.

“It’s OK to come out here. It’s OK to be scared. I’m not OK. I know that, but I’m OK with it,” he says.

Nationally, FBI statistics show that hate crimes against the LGBTQ community have increased.

In 2022, attacks based on gender identity increased by 32.9% compared to the previous year.

The number of crimes based on sexual orientation increased by 13.8%.

CBS 8 spoke with Jen Labarbera, interim director of Pride San Diego, earlier this week. Labarbera said the attack was “alarming, but not too surprising.”

“Our community is nothing new when it comes to being victims of violence, whether it is intentional because of our identity or whether it is not actually motivated by hate. We do not yet have an answer to that,” Labarbera said.

San Diego Pride has been in touch with everyone affected by Saturday’s attacks to ensure they are OK.

So far no arrests have been made.

San Diego police told CBS 8 that their Western Division deployed extra patrols in the Hillcrest area this week.

With the San Diego Pride Festival less than two months away, Labarbera said it underscores the need for safety, which has always been her top priority.

WATCH RELATED VIDEOS: Several people were shot with an air rifle in front of LGBTQ bars