New Havana Grill & Bar remains open after shooting injures 2

Police say this investigation is ongoing. No suspects have been arrested.
Published: Mar. 18, 2023 at 11:01 PM MDT|Updated: Mar. 19, 2023 at 12:00 PM MDT

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - Following St. Patrick’s Day celebrations across Colorado Springs, a shooting at a local restaurant left two men with non-life-threatening injuries in the hospital.

Early Saturday morning, police responded to Havana Bar and Grill after getting calls for shots fired.

The New Havana Bar and Grill only just opened about 10 months ago. But Saturday’s shooting will make this the fourth shooting 11 News has reported on in the past eight months.

According to the CEO of the New Havana Bar and Grill, Jahzzel “Jeanpiere” Ortega, a fight broke out inside the bar early Saturday morning. He goes on to say the two parties involved were separated. One suspect went to his car and grabbed his gun.

“I guess he was too drunk or just acting tough, and he grabbed a gun from the car, and he walked by the security guards and shot the two of them,” Ortega said.

According to police, the suspect left the scene.

Both security guards are now in the hospital with minor injuries. No one else in the club was injured.

“But they are doing good,” Ortega said after visiting them in the hospital. “One of them was shot in the leg, and the other one was shot in the foot.”

Going forward, Ortega said he will be speaking up and taking proactive measures.

“I think our next step would just be to start begging for help from the city,” Ortega said. “Because there are other clubs, which I won’t name, but they do get constant cop presence, and they have 100 to 150 patrons, and we have 1,000.”

Despite Saturday’s shooting, The New Havana Bar will remain open.

As the St. Patrick’s Day weekend party continues, New Havana bar goers should expect increased security.

But the owner tells me they have nothing to fear regarding their safety.

“We have over 15 to 20 security guards, all of them armed, licensed all of them with handcuffs, metal detectors,” Ortega said. “We have ID scanners, and everyone who walks through the door they get patted down.”

“The people that have been here, they know how we do things; they know how we take care of people, and honestly, I would just say keep trusting us,” Ortega said.

Police say this investigation is ongoing. No suspects have been arrested.

We will keep you updated as we learn more.

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