By Christina Smith
A shooting occurred at Popeye’s Chicken and Biscuits directly off University property late Wednesday night. Police reported on the scene that a victim was taken to the hospital and that the suspect fled on foot before they reached the scene.
According to Meghan McCloskey, a University student residing in Breukelen House in the Netherlands Complex, she was awakened around 11:40 p.m. by five gunshots from across the street. McCloskey, sleeping with the window open, lives in a room that directly faces Popeye’s.
The shots were fired at a white Lexus sedan with Florida state license plates that was moving through the Popeye’s drive-thru. The sedan’s passenger side windows were both shattered, leaving behind one piece of glass on the front passenger side window with a single bullet hole. Four overturned cups placed around the car indicated the location of the shell casings from the fired shots. A blue Mercedes sedan remained parked in the drive-thru behind the Lexus undamaged by the shooting. The victim was taken to Nassau University Medical Center and the status and severity of the injury is unknown.
Popeye’s employees told reporters that they did not witness the event.
A bouncer, Stephen, working outside Nacho Mama’s Cantina next door to Popeye’s at the time of the incident reported that he heard the shots fired next door.
“I heard three gunshots,” said Stephen. “As I was calling the police I noticed the line of cars in the parking lot peel out and speed away.”
When Stephen called the police, he was informed that multiple callers had reported the incident. According to Stephen, Police arrived on scene approximately 10 minutes after the shots were fired.
He added that although he had only heard three gunshots, he was later informed that eight were actually fired.
Bouncers at Nacho Mama’s immediately closed the front doors to the bar and had all guests waiting for entry line up directly against the fence in the back. Stephen also said that the head of security for Nacho Mama’s went over and spoke to the police.
An initial Campus Alert Notification Network (CANN) message was then delivered to University students around 12:45 a.m. Thursday, approximately an hour after the incident. The message stated that a shooting incident occurred there involving two armed men and that police were still on scene and to remain indoors. However, police on the scene could neither confirm nor deny the accuracy of the message.
Public Safety said that they could not put out a Campus Alert Notification Network (CANN) message without first contacting the Director of Public Safety, Ed Bracht.
A second CANN message was delivered to students around 2:21 a.m. Thursday stating that the police had advised the University that they were actively following leads in their investigation and for students to contact Public Safety with any concerns.
Students were warned by Resident Assisants to remain inside their buildings for the rest of the evening.
“It was scary, you know, that stuff like that actually happens,” said Steven Panzarella, a first year student living in Breukelen. “But you never think it would happen 100 yards away from where you live.”
Jamie Atkinson and Jessica Lewis contributed reporting to this story.
