WATCH: Security Guards Prevent Possible Mass Shooting By Stopping Armed Man
Authorities are praising a trio of security guards as heroes, after they worked together to stop an armed gunman from entering a strip club in Tampa, FL, on March 19 — preventing a possible mass shooting.
CCTV footage from outside the club shows a 44-year-old suspect approaching the club with a gun, before multiple guards engage with him.
“I knew I was in a fight for my life,” said security guard Manny Resto, via the Tampa Bay Times. “I decided that he was not going to enter the club and hurt anybody. I wasn’t going to let this happen. I was not going to let him win.”
One of the bouncers sustained minor injuries in the incident, but no one inside the venue was injured. Upon arrival, police found additional knives, guns, and ammunition in the suspect’s pocket and their truck.
“There is no question that the security guards who disarmed this suspect saved dozens of lives,” Tampa Interim Police Chief Lee Bercaw said.