1 dead, 8 injured in San Bernardino hookah lounge shooting
Nine people were shot, one of whom is dead, following a shooting in San Bernardino Saturday.
"My heart dropped," said witness Amiyah Ramos. "In my head, I'm thinking, 'I'm [about to] die or something.'"
According to Sgt. Thomas Aquino of the San Bernardino Police Department, the incident occurred just after midnight on Highland Avenue in San Bernardino. There was an altercation during a party inside Tha Blu Flame hookah lounge.
"I was dancing with my homegirls," said Ramos. "All of a sudden, I heard shooting."
Shots were fired inside the building, and the brawl spilled out into the parking lot where more shots were fired.
"I heard pop, pop, pop," said Darlene Ramos, Amiyah's grandmother.
She was waiting outside to pick up Amiyah and her 12-year-old sister Leilani. Darleene said she was terrified as she searched for her grandchildren.
"When they shot three more times, a girl got shot in her head and landed on me," said Amiyah.
After Amiyah grabbed the girl's body and covered herself to hide until the shooting subsided, she found her sister Leilani shot in the leg. The two sisters then ran to their grandmother's car.
"I've been at the hospital all night and the doctors said that the bullet went into her tight and it traveled down to her knee," Darleene said.
Some of the victims were transported to the hospital by ambulance, and others drove themselves. It is unclear how many went to the hospital.
Some of the victims were minors, Aquino added. While still in crutches and the bullet still inside her leg, Leilani survived.
The deceased victim was identified as 20-year-old Allen Gresham III.
"We are going to miss him very much and I just pray and hope that justice will be served for my nephew because we're hurting now," said Gresham's great aunt Pamela Brown.
The suspect is still outstanding.