By Morgan M. Hurley, Editor in Chief
By now, most in our region are aware of what took place in the early morning hours of Saturday, May 20. A dark sedan drove through Hillcrest and North Park and shot water pellets at four or five LGBTQ establishments. A number of people were hit, and one, Eddie Reynoso, the publisher of this newspaper, went to the ER because he was shot in the eye (Eddie is also the VIP Host Manager at Rich’s).
The videos that Rich’s released to our paper following the incident were difficult to watch. Regardless, once posted to our website, they reached thousands of viewers.
I am old enough to remember when all of our gay bars were basically locked down, occupants hidden behind big walls, with no outside windows or light getting in. It was rare to see outsiders there and we felt safe inside.
Then Obama happened. Marriage equality happened. The repeal of DADT happened. And things slowly eased up in our community. Straight people began flocking to our neighborhood. And now, just about every gay/queer bar has outside seating, huge windows, and many have garage-style roll-up doors that eagerly allow passersby (and drivers) to see inside. We are no longer hiding, and unfortunately, that has made us more vulnerable in this post-Trump era.
I’ve been trying not to call the incident a “shooting,” since that conjures up much worse scenarios happening in cities across our country and that we’ve become accustomed to. But it was, in fact, a shooting,
Originally, the number of bars thought to be involved in the incident was staggering; Rich’s PECS, Number One Fifth Avenue, The Loft, The Rail … people all over social media were chiming in, some saying they were at such-and-such bar and got hit or saw someone shooting at a bar they were working or patronizing.
When all was said and done, The Rail, Rich’s, PECS and Number One were all confirmed to have experienced an attack.
What we know from eyewitness accounts is that the “gun” used was shooting water pellets. These pellets are not life-threatening, but if someone, like Reynoso, got hit in the face, they could easily lose an eye, and they hurt wherever they hit the human body.
The deeper issues are what those who were attacked felt. What happened in Orlando is still lurking in our psyches and while that happened 8 years ago, it was June 12, so the anniversary is looming.
Everything happened so fast the night of the incident, they had no idea what was being shot at them; what they just got hit with; what they just saw ricochet off of their co-worker’s head. Was it brain matter? Some even saw the gun in the split-seconds of time it took for the vehicle to roll by, and these water guns are fashioned – very unfortunately – to look just like a semi-automatic assault rifle.
Others saw a dark sedan slowing down in front of other LGBTQ businesses, appearing to “scope out” the areas. Still others watched the incidents unfold from afar.
So why didn’t other bars get attacked? Maybe they did and we haven’t heard about it. Hardly anyone filed a police report.
Calling 911 anonymously to report an incident is important, but it is not the same as filing out a police report.
We as a community need to get better at: 1) Paying close attention to our surroundings whenever we can; 2) Making mental notes of clothing, hair, vehicle types, license plates, etc.; 3) Calling the police when we experience an attack or harassment or see or experience attacks on our gay/queer establishments (even something suspicious); 2) Make a police report of whatever happened so the police have a written record, which can be added to future incidents.
Most police department websites offer a place where you can file a police report online. You can also do it in person.
Every Police Department in every city across our county has an LGGBTQ Liaison. They are there specifically for us, and we need to use them. I’m adding a list of the most updated list I have below (a couple just have the main line for now as I could not get a response by press time).
I also highly encourage you to attend the 2024 LGBT+ Law Enforcement Summit, taking place Wednesday, June 13, 6 pm, at Rich’s Nightclub, located at 1051 University Ave., in Hillcrest.
According to law enforcement organizers, “This year’s Summit will focus on getting to know the individual liaisons throughout the county along with the traditional Q&A with leadership and liaisons.
“We will also have a presentation on recent potential hate crime incidents that have occurred in Hillcrest and the recent alerts for extremist violence. It will be a great opportunity to meet new leadership and new liaisons and maybe bid farewell to the old, outgoing ones.”
In closing, remember the phrase, “If you see something, say something.”
LOCAL LGBTQ LIAISONS
Sergeant Natali Fant, [email protected], 760-473-8722
Agent Natalie Garnsey
TBD – main line 619-522-7350
Lt. Joseph Crawford, [email protected], 619-579-3319
Officer Tyler Hubka, [email protected], 760-839-4722
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION – SD
Special Agent Brett Kalina, [email protected], 858-583-3854
Lt. Katy Lynch, [email protected], 619-667-7566
Stephanie Mendiola, [email protected], 619-336-4515
SGT Anthony Flores, [email protected], 760-435-4881
Officer Lisa Hartman, [email protected], 619-288-1512
SGT Michael Gonzales, [email protected], 858-790-1367
I hope you enjoyed reading this article and hope you will also consider supporting our independent news organization. LGBTQ San Diego County News is one of California’s last LGBTQ print newspapers. But we are in danger of going out of print. During times of crisis, celebration, and mourning, crucial information about our community comes from local reporters and writers. LGBTQ San Diego County News needs your help and support in order to continue printing.
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Our local LGBTQ+ newspaper helps keep us safer. We keep an eye on city hall, on corruption, and shady business practices. Together we can ensure our local news is covered for years to come.
-Eddie Reynoso, Publisher
