Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
Wedding ends in gunfire
Shots ring out Saturday night during a reception at Castaway Restaurant, where three men were reportedly seen with guns.
By Chris Wiebe
HILLSIDE DISTRICT — A wedding reception Saturday at the Castaway Restaurant turned violent, summoning nearly 30 police officers on reports that gunshots were fired in a banquet hall.
The response came after the Burbank Police Department received numerous 911 calls at about 11 p.m., with information that an active gunman was among wedding guests at the restaurant, Burbank Police Lt. Omar Rodriguez said.
Two helicopters, 25 Burbank officers and four Glendale Police Department officers arrived at the 1200 block of East Harvard Road, where about 200 people were standing in a parking lot, some screaming in panic, officers said.
Officers entered the Starlight Ballroom Banquet Hall, where shots were reported, but they did not find a shooter, Rodriguez said.
"In the end, they were able to confirm that a subject had shot into the ceiling," he said. "But we didn't find any weapons."
Rodriguez said evidence suggested the bullets fired into the ceiling came from a handgun.
Another guest at the party was hit over the head with a beer bottle, he said.
Wedding guests were largely uncooperative with police, Rodriguez said, and officers surmised that the alleged gunman was either hiding among the crowd or had fled.
Two witnesses who cooperated with police said they saw three men — one with a shotgun and two with other weapons — pursuing three women near the south side of the restaurant parking lot, according the police report. The men then ran back into the ballroom, and the witnesses said they heard shots fired.
Officers will continue to investigate the incident, Rodriguez said.
"They are looking at it to figure out what happened, what occurred and why," he said.
Police have a copy of the wedding guest list, which they will use in their investigation.
Officers had to seal off the restaurant Saturday night, shutting in restaurant customers and the guests of two wedding parties, which amounted to about 600 people, he said.
"They weren't very friendly toward the police," Rodriguez said.
"Obviously, they were getting a bit involved because they wanted to go home. But we wanted to keep them in to make sure that they wouldn't run in to any sort of trouble."
During the lockdown, tension also rose between guests of the two weddings, he said.
Officers arrested two people on suspicion of being drunk in public, but the arrests were not related to the shooting, he said.
Castaway General Manager David Mashagh could not be reached for comment.
Saturday's incident is out of character with the usual tenor of the Castaway, which has a great reputation in Burbank, said Gary Olson, executive director of the Burbank Chamber of Commerce.
The chamber holds its monthly business connection luncheons at the Castaway, bringing crowds of 100 to 120 people, he added.
"One incident isn't going to diminish our utilization of the Castaway in the future," he said. "They had no control over the people who show up and what might transpire."
CHRIS WIEBE covers City Hall and the courts. He may be reached at (818) 637-3242 or by e-mail at chris.wiebelatimes.com.
The response came after the Burbank Police Department received numerous 911 calls at about 11 p.m., with information that an active gunman was among wedding guests at the restaurant, Burbank Police Lt. Omar Rodriguez said.
Two helicopters, 25 Burbank officers and four Glendale Police Department officers arrived at the 1200 block of East Harvard Road, where about 200 people were standing in a parking lot, some screaming in panic, officers said.
Officers entered the Starlight Ballroom Banquet Hall, where shots were reported, but they did not find a shooter, Rodriguez said.
advertisement
Rodriguez said evidence suggested the bullets fired into the ceiling came from a handgun.
Another guest at the party was hit over the head with a beer bottle, he said.
Wedding guests were largely uncooperative with police, Rodriguez said, and officers surmised that the alleged gunman was either hiding among the crowd or had fled.
Two witnesses who cooperated with police said they saw three men — one with a shotgun and two with other weapons — pursuing three women near the south side of the restaurant parking lot, according the police report. The men then ran back into the ballroom, and the witnesses said they heard shots fired.
Officers will continue to investigate the incident, Rodriguez said.
"They are looking at it to figure out what happened, what occurred and why," he said.
Police have a copy of the wedding guest list, which they will use in their investigation.
Officers had to seal off the restaurant Saturday night, shutting in restaurant customers and the guests of two wedding parties, which amounted to about 600 people, he said.
"They weren't very friendly toward the police," Rodriguez said.
"Obviously, they were getting a bit involved because they wanted to go home. But we wanted to keep them in to make sure that they wouldn't run in to any sort of trouble."
During the lockdown, tension also rose between guests of the two weddings, he said.
Officers arrested two people on suspicion of being drunk in public, but the arrests were not related to the shooting, he said.
Castaway General Manager David Mashagh could not be reached for comment.
Saturday's incident is out of character with the usual tenor of the Castaway, which has a great reputation in Burbank, said Gary Olson, executive director of the Burbank Chamber of Commerce.
The chamber holds its monthly business connection luncheons at the Castaway, bringing crowds of 100 to 120 people, he added.
"One incident isn't going to diminish our utilization of the Castaway in the future," he said. "They had no control over the people who show up and what might transpire."
Save/Share
 |
 |
|
| Chase ends, two cops hurt | POLICE REPORT |
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of burbankleader.com.
Submit a Comment
We encourage your feedback and dialog, all comments will be reviewed by our Web staff before appearing on the Web site.
Not registered yet?
RSS