AMARILLO, TX - Authorities have confirmed that one man is dead and nine others were injured during a mass shooting that took place at a nightclub in the early morning hours on Sunday, January 26th.
According to FOX4, investigators have identified the shooter as 23-year-old Robert Kenney Knox and the driver as 21-year-old Nahryah Hilesta Ines Hayes. Both have been charged with one count of murder and eight counts of deadly conduct. Authorities said that just after 2:00 a.m. numerous 911 calls were made reporting that there was a shooting in the 700 block of S. Polk Street.
Witness told police that a vehicle approached the entrance of an open nightclub and one person got out and opened fire into a large crowd with a rifle. After the shooter fired off multiple rounds, the suspect jumped back into the car and left the scene. Another witness followed the suspect's car and called 911 to relay the direction of travel.
Deputies with the Randall County Sheriff's Office (RCSO) were able to locate the vehicle and stop it. Three people were arrested and taken into custody. All three were taken to the Amarillo Police Department's Homicide Division for questioning. According to police, nine people suffered gunshot wounds; six of them were taken to hospitals for medical care. Three others were taken to the hospital by private vehicles.
One of the victims, 25-year-old John Love Louima, died at the hospital due to multiple gunshot wounds. Knox has been identified as the shooter, Hayes has been identified as the driver, and 22-year-old Britt Crinson Cave has been identified as the passenger in the backseat. Cave has been charged with public intoxication.
News Channel 10 reported that both Knox and Hayes have been booked into the Potter County Detention Center. Cave has been booked into the Randall County Detention Center. Investigators said that the shooting possibly stems from an earlier altercation inside of the bar. Police said that a firearm, shell casings, and other evidence linked to the shooting were recovered from the scene.
According to ABC7, a press release from the Amarillo Police Department (APD) states that "detectives have a considerable amount of investigation to complete before we are able to understand completely what happened." In an update on January 27th, officials with APD provided additional details as the investigation continues.
Knox reportedly used an AR-style platform and fired 15 rounds into a crowd of people outside of the nightclub. Lt. James Clements, the homicide unit commander at APD said, "In our investigation, we've determined that the firearm used was an AR-style platform, kind of a pistol, with a magazine capacity of approximately 28 rounds."
Police said that after Knox fired off the rounds, he got into car, which is when Hayes drove off and fled the scene. Clements said, "Inside the bar there were some words exchanged. There was some what we would call maybe some flirting with the girls that caused some anger between some people, but the bars had let out and the crowd was out in front of the sidewalk as usual. When the bars are closing at that time, a little bit of verbal started at that point, then the suspects left the scene and then everybody started to disperse and leave the area, and that's when the suspects came back."
Regarding the victims, Clements said, "Right now, from what we understand, we're not going to release any information on the victims themselves for the privacy of the families." In a statement, Chief Martin Birkenfield said, "The motive here is inexcusable. It's hate-fueled anger. It's not more complicated than that. It's stupid."
He added, "We've got to do better and I don't have all the answers for that. The best we can do from our perspective is to hold people accountable for gun ownership." Birkenfield also addressed the oversight of establishments like Chesney's, where the shooting took place outside. He said, "Any business that has an alcohol service permit, we look at that report to TABC. We've done that in the past with Chesney's because of the problems there two years ago.
We filed a protest of a renewal of their license and we have yet to hear back from TABC on that, but there's certainly the potential for consequences there. We're going to look at every avenue because in the end, we want businesses to thrive and survive and do well, but not at the cost of public safety."
The chief closed by expressing his heartfelt gratitude to the first responders for their swift actions, commending their dedication to protecting lives and assisting those in need during a chaotic and tragic moment.
