2 Killed, 2 Hurt in Phoenix Strip Club Shooting

PHOENIX - A man started shooting inside a strip club, killing two people and wounding two others, including a topless dancer, before patrons wrestled the gunman to the floor, police said.

The shooting occurred shortly before midnight Sunday at the Great Alaskan Bush Company in the 2900 block of Northwest Grand Avenue, police spokesman Sgt. Tommy Thompson said.

A 28-year-old man walked into the west Phoenix club, opened fire, and hit four people before running out of ammunition, police said.

Troy Cooley, 34, a security guard at the club, was shot and killed, police said. A second man, Antonio Garcia, 20, a patron at the club, also died after being shot. A 22-year-old man and the 20-year-old dancer were wounded.

Amanda Holland, a dancer at the club, told KTVK-TV on Monday that she aided the dancer who was shot in the arm before the gunman fired at a doorman who was trying to protect her.

"One of our doormen got shot because he was starting to defend one of the girls that work there," Holland said.

She said the gunman told the dancer "you're next" when the doorman stood in front of the dancer and was shot and killed.

Police told KTVK that witnesses said the gunman had been inside the bar, went outside to the parking lot, then came back inside and opened fire sometime after that. It wasn't clear what prompted him to start shooting.

People inside the club tackled the gunman and held him until officers arrived, Thompson said. The man was being interviewed by detectives.

This was the second fatal shooting at a Phoenix strip club over the Christmas weekend.

Just before 1 a.m. Saturday, officers responded to a shots-fired call at Chi Chis Cabaret in central Phoenix and found a club security guard with multiple gunshot wounds.

KTVK said a man police identified as Tekina Latu, 22, became upset after a fight between two groups and grabbed a handgun, firing several rounds at the security guard.

The guard was able to return fire. He was wearing a ballistic vest and was hospitalized with injuries that were not life-threatening.

Latu's relatives took him to a hospital where he later died from his injuries.