One man has been killed in a bar shooting in the heart of DeLand, law enforcement confirmed on Saturday. The shooting, located at McCabe’s Bar on North Amelia Avenue, killed 32-year-old DeLand resident Keshod Harris and injured a bartender.
According to a report by the DeLand Police Department, the incident began at around 1:30 pm. Witnesses told police that a fistfight broke out between multiple individuals patronizing McCabe’s, leading one of them to brandish a firearm. A suspect has not yet been placed in custody. The bar reportedly had three dozen or so people inside when the shooting began.
Multiple shots were said to have been fired, and Harris was hit multiple times in the chest. He was hospitalized in critical condition, and later succumbed to his injuries. The bartender reported to have been injured sustained gunshot wounds to both of his hands. He was also hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
“Based on our investigation, the bartender was trying to intervene. She saw the altercation transpire,” said DeLand Police Captain Prurince Dice as reported by Channel 6 Orlando. “She went over to try to break it up. Once the perpetrator was able to break free from the fight, the perpetrator pulled out a gun and it appears to me that the perpetrator did not care who was around. He pulled out a gun and his intended target was in front of him, and that’s who he wanted to shoot, and it didn’t matter who was around, obviously, he shot the bartender. She was trying to intervene and trying to do a good deed and ended up being shot. I’m not sure if she’s still in the hospital right now, but I do know that she went for treatment and she’s doing very well.”
According to the DeLand Police Department the suspect fled the scene immediately after the incident. The DPD and Volusia Sheriff’s Office are working to identify the suspect and locate them, but as of Saturday afternoon there have been no arrests or identifications reported. The gun was not recovered, but is believed to be a .40 caliber.
Anyone with information that might be helpful to detectives in the case is asked to contact the DeLand Police Department, or to submit an anonymous tip via Crime Stoppers at 800-432-8477 or online with the DPD. Detective Jackson Miller can be contacted at millerja@deland.org. The Volusia Sheriff’s Office and DeLand Police Department can be reached by calling (386) 626-7400. Rewards may be available up to $1,000.
My daughter, who is a student at Stetson witnessed someone loading him into the back of a pickup truck as the ambulance would not go onto the unsecured scene. Pretty scary.