CHARLOTTE – The Charlotte-Mecklenburg police department has identified a man arrested for allegedly firing a gun inside a humor club in the city of Charlotte on Saturday night.
Police said Omar James McCombs, 36, was charged with nine charges related to the incident.
No one was injured on Saturday, but the situation canceled the show at The Comedy Zone at the AvidXchange Music Factory, where comedian Craig Robinson was supposed to perform.
Employees told Channel 9 reporter Tina Terry that a man entered the club while waving a gun and demanded that everyone leave the building. Employees said it happened around 9:10 p.m.
About 50 customers were inside and dozens more were outside. Employees said they started running through the door. The CMPD confirmed that after everyone was evacuated, McCombs allegedly fired this weapon inside.
Officers said when they arrived they found several victims who said McCombs aimed a gun at them and threatened to hurt them.
The comedy area was evacuated after a man waved a gun inside, CMPD says
Officers were able to quickly arrest McCombs and take him to the CMPD headquarters.
McCombs was charged with five counts of assault by pointing a gun, one of throwing a firearm inside a compound to incite fear, and one count of possession of a firearm by a criminal. , among other charges. His bonds total $ 90,000, according to arrest records from the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office.
‘A lot of chaos’
Meanwhile, many people who were there on Saturday were thankful that no one was injured.
“I felt like there were people running out, even some of our co-workers couldn’t get in. They were confused,” Serenity Sanders said. “A lot of chaos. I’m glad it wasn’t bad, that people could still go out to the factory and enjoy their time. ”
It all happened about 30 minutes before a sold out show with Robinson. Police said the show was canceled.
On Saturday night, Robinson spoke for the first time on an Instagram Live he recorded after the gruesome situation.
“There’s an active shooter at the club where he was, so we had to run over here to this concert,” he said. Then later, “It was wild, I was in the green room, they were like, ‘Everyone goes out.’
Robinson later shared a statement on his Instagram.
“Thank you to the security and Comedy Zone staff for bringing us to safety quickly. Thank you all for your support and good wishes. Thank you CMPD for the quick action in stopping the shooter. I hope you get help “Thank God, no one was injured. Please rest assured.”
Chief Johnny Jennings echoed that sentiment by saying he was proud and grateful for all the CMPD staff involved in the de-escalation of the incident.
The Comedy Zone canceled the show Sunday night to take a “breather” after the incident.
Anyone who has purchased tickets for the Saturday or Sunday night show will be refunded tickets.
This is a developing story. Check for updates again.
(LOOK BELOW: Man facing more charges in connection with NoDa shooting that left one officer injured, arrest warrants say)
The man faces further charges in connection with the NoDa shooting that left one officer injured, according to arrest warrants
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