Tallahassee Police want the public’s help in their investigation of a shooting that left two people dead and two people injured at a Tallahassee restaurant.
TPD spokesman David Northway says two off-duty police officers were standing outside El Patron Mexican Grille and Cantina on Apalachee Parkway, when they were alerted by customers of a fight inside early Wednesday morning.
“Unfortunately, during that fight, a victim was shot and killed inside of the restaurant,” said Northway, speaking during a news conference, Wednesday afternoon. “The preliminary investigation appears to show the altercation spilled outside to the parking lot, where it continued and two more victims were shot in the parking lot.”
While 24-year-old Ira Brown died from his injuries, Dionne Hardnett and Jaurice Hayes were later brought to the hospital, where they were treated. The suspect, 32-year-old Dimitrie Penny, was killed in the parking lot by one of the officers.
TPD Chief Michael DeLeo says it’s unclear what prompted the fight and if the man fatally shot inside was killed by the dead suspect.
“By several accounts, the restaurant was extremely busy last night, and we know we could not have possibly interviewed everyone that was there. Investigators have interviewed several witnesses, but we need the community’s help in getting all accounts of what occurred last night, so we can conduct a thorough and complete investigation,” said DeLeo.
DeLeo is urging the community to come together and call a hotline created specifically for this case, 850-891-4331, or CrimeStoppers at 850-574-TIPS.
Meanwhile, TPD officers, Jason Ravenel and Edward Guerra, were both placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure.
For more news updates, follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter: @SaschaCordner.
