JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A weekend shooting at a Jacksonville bar is raising new questions about safety after records show police have been called to the business more than one hundred times in just over a year.
According to Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office calls-for-service data, officers have responded to Tipsy’s Bar and Grill 111 times since January 1 of last year. The calls include reports of fights, shootings, auto thefts, burglaries, hit-and-run crashes, noise complaints, domestic disturbances, and vandalism.
Police said the most recent incident happened early Sunday morning when a fight broke out inside the bar and escalated. Investigators said a suspect pulled out a gun and fired multiple shots as patrons attempted to flee.
Detectives identified the suspect as 20-year-old Khamari Graham. Surveillance video, according to police, shows Graham firing toward the exit before security guards tackled him and removed the gun.
A police report states that the firearm recovered at the scene matched shell casings found inside the bar. Detectives also confirmed Graham is legally prohibited from carrying a gun. He now faces multiple charges, including additional probation violations.
Police confirmed that three people were injured in the shooting. Their identities have not been released.
The owner of Tipsy’s Bar and Grill told Action News Jax he is doing everything he can to keep the business respectable. He said he does not know how the suspect was able to bring a gun inside, is changing security companies, and is cooperating fully with investigators. The owner also said the business has been burglarized seven times.
“I haven’t talked to the detectives yet to find out everything. But when I talk to them, I will be glad to give you a statement. It’s been rough,” said the bar owner.
The bar owner said he is working to make changes in the new year, including the use of metal detectors and hiring a new security company.
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