'Right out of a TV show': 3 men at large after robbery attempt with jester suit, shotgun at Winnipeg bar
Police are looking for three unknown men — one dressed as a jester — who tried to rob a restaurant with a shotgun on Tuesday night before being overpowered by staff and patrons, in a scene a witness described as "complete mayhem."
Around 8:30 p.m., three men — all disguised — went to Gizzys Restaurant & Bar on Ness Avenue, in the Sturgeon Creek Village strip mall, stealing a cellphone from a man standing outside of the business before walking in, Const. Tammy Skrabek said at a Winnipeg police news conference on Wednesday.
A man holding a gun ordered everybody to the ground before firing a shot at the ceiling.
"The shooter was overpowered by employees and patrons, resulting in a confrontation between several parties," Skrabek said.
A witness told CBC she saw a man get pushed through a window of the bar during the confrontation.
Winnipeg police general patrol officers, the tactical support team and the Air1 helicopter all responded to a call about the robbery, but the three men had already fled when they arrived, Skrabek said.
Police did recover the shotgun used in the crime.
One man from the restaurant was taken to hospital in stable condition and has since been released.
'Right out of a TV show'
"When we got there, it was complete mayhem. People were running out of the bar," Candace, who asked that her last name not be used, told a CBC reporter the night of the robbery. "It was not a great situation."
She and her 15-year-old daughter, who had just left a dance class in the strip mall, said they saw a man in a clown-type jester costume and another wearing a balaclava. Her daughter, Alexus, said she saw a long machete-type knife, although Skrabek said police haven't been able to confirm whether multiple weapons were used, or who they belonged to.
Alesha Dyck, a bartender at Gizzy's, was working when the first man walked in, armed with a shotgun he pointed at her. She says it took her a good five seconds to process what was happening.
"It was long, it had, like, the two barrels. It was the first time I've ever seen a weapon, like a gun, up close," she said Wednesday.
Then the man she was talking to ran into the back room and the armed man ran after him, and Dyck's coworker grabbed her and they hid in the bathroom.
"As I was in there, dialling 911, I heard a shot. And that's when my heart just, like, sank to the bottom of my stomach," she said.
She stayed on the phone with the dispatcher until police arrived two or three minutes later. She said it felt like a lifetime.
"I'm just happy that I was clear-headed ... it didn't affect me as much as it should have," she said. But it — it's like right out a TV show. It was crazy, it was insane."
Dyck was back at work on Wednesday. She said she's still in shock, but feels more angry than anything.
"It's not OK. I shouldn't have to be thankful for these guys being here, because it shouldn't happen," she said.
Police say not to confront perpetrators
Skrabek said it's unclear why the man shot the ceiling, and there's no indication what the motive was for the robbery.
"I don't know if his intention was to rob people that were there, to rob the business or to just randomly scare people. We're not sure yet," she said.
She said the entire incident was "very quick": police were called at 8:28 p.m. and one suspect fled at 8:29 p.m. before the others left one minute later. Police arrived at 8:34 p.m. and stopped and searched vehicles in the area.
Police don't recommend getting involved when robbers are armed, she said.
"Fortunately, this incident did turn out OK for the patrons of the bar. Nobody was injured as a result of the shot fired into the ceiling," she said. "The injured male received his injuries as a result of the scuffle that ensued afterward."
Police recommend simply complying with robbers, she said.
Police suggest anyone who was at the bar who needs to talk about the robbery find someone to speak to.
"It's no different than a bank robbery, right?" Skrabek said. "It's very traumatizing. It's not something you anticipate when you're out just after suppertime hour, socializing."
The Winnipeg police major crime unit is investigating. Anyone with information is asked to call 204-986-6219 or CrimeStoppers at 204-786-TIPS (8477).
