Escondido, California - 1 Killed, 1 Wounded, Suspect Arrested in Bar Shooting At Pounders

Police Arrest Pounders Sports Pub Shooting Suspect After Pursuit

Last Update: 7/13/2020

A suspected gang-related shooting at an Escondido bar early Saturday morning resulted in the death of one man, the wounding of a second victim, and the arrest of a suspect following a short foot pursuit. According to the Escondido Police Department, at around 1 a.m. on September 22 officers were called to Pounders Sports Pub on West Grand Avenue near South Broadway for reports of a shooting.

After arriving at the scene, several witnesses identified the suspect to police. The suspect fled the scene on foot, and officers chased him for several blocks before apprehending him after a short struggle. The suspect, 32-year-old Manuel Eliseo Martinez, was arrested and charged with murder, attempted murder, possession of drugs for sale, resisting arrest, and several weapons charges.

The two gunshot victims were brought by medics to a trauma center. One victim died from the gunshot wounds and has not been identified, pending family notification. The second victim’s injuries were non-life-threatening and he is expected to survive.

Police believe the shooting was gang-related.

Do Bar Owners Have A Responsibility to Prevent Violence?

Jason Amala represents the victims of preventable shootings and stabbings in civil court. We’ve asked him to share some general information on bar owner liability for shootings, stabbings, and other violence:

“When a shooting or stabbing occurs at a business, there are several concerns to deal with in the aftermath. Naturally, the first step should always be finding, arresting, and prosecuting the perpetrator; this is to be handled by the criminal justice system. Additionally, it’s important to make sure that victims get the support and justice they deserve. In order to provide this justice, we must also ask if bar ownership was negligent in a way that contributed to the violent incident,” Mr. Amala stated.

“All property owners have a legal duty to keep their premises safe from foreseeable hazards that could result in accidents and injuries, including preventable violent crime. Bar owners can help protect against the risk of crime by making sure they have adequate security on-site, such as hired security guards and metal detectors to screen for weapons. When a bar owner fails to provide adequate security measures or is negligent in another way and fails to prevent a violent incident because of that negligence, the victims of the violence could have grounds for a lawsuit against the bar owner,” He concluded.