A potential mass shooting at a bar in Arlington, TX may have been stopped by a patron with a gun, police are saying.
48 year old James Jones, of Grand Prairie, walked into the bar and started yelling and ranting incoherently. “He was saying, ‘Oh, who worked for the cartel?'” the witness said. “‘F Mexicans. You deserve to die.’
Cesar Perez, the bar’s well like manager, approached the man to calm him down, and that’s when Jones fatally shot Perez in the face and chest. Then another patron of the bar, carrying a concealed gun, returned fire on Jones, killing him.
The bar has what’s called a “blue sign”, meaning that concealed handguns are allowed in. “We don’t have any plans to charge him,” said Lt. Chris Cook, and Arlington police spokesman.
Police state that the patron likely saved other lives in the process as Jones had another handgun, loaded, in his pocket as well as multiple knives. The second gun had it’s serial numbers scratched off; probably stolen.
“We don’t know what his motivation was but clearly if he wanted to do additional harm, he definitely had the weapons to do that,” Cook said.
No one answered the door to the suspect’s south Grand Prairie home Thursday, and neighbors had little insight. County records show the Jones household receives a disabled veteran tax exemption.
“A guy with a gun saved us, but a guy with a gun went and tried to kill us,” said the eyewitness.