Staff at the Warfield say that about 15 minutes before a security guard was fatally shot, a chemical irritant was sprayed inside the venue, sending a crowd of people rushing out while coughing and struggling to breathe.
The San Francisco Police Department is investigating the death of Warfield security guard Ulysses Tykee Davis, 47, who was shot outside the theater around 1 am Saturday. As KTVU reports, Davis’s wife and two of his six children witnessed the shooting. His brother-in-law, Terrance Cooper, said Davis had been helping remove a disruptive woman from the theater when she allegedly shot him in the back.
The Warfield Theatre had been hosting an 18-and-over event on Friday night featuring the cast of “Baddies USA Chapter 3,” which was scheduled to end at midnight. According to Mission Local, filming for the show's new season had taken place that night, and bartenders estimated that the venue was less than half full.
Staff told Mission Local that a chemical irritant described as bear mace was released inside the theater at 12:45 am, sending a large crowd rushing into the lobby. Bartenders described people coughing, with red eyes and tears streaming down their faces, while others covered their faces and shouted that they could not breathe.
One bartender said people were jumping over the bar as they fled, with some taking items and one person swinging at a coworker. Another bartender told the paper that a security guard pulled an attacker away before she was struck.
Per Mission Local, staff were still cleaning up when two gunshots were heard near the lobby. Several workers reportedly hid in an office and locked the door.
A witness who was near the box office told Mission Local that he saw a woman take a handgun from another woman before someone yelled “Gun!” He said the woman pointed the gun in his direction before he ran and heard several shots. When he looked back, he saw a security guard had been shot near the theater entrance. Police have not confirmed that account.
Friends and coworkers described Davis as a longtime Bayview-Hunters Point resident who was well-liked by the people who worked alongside him, as KTVU reports.
“Bear was just doing his job. He was at work, doing security,” said Terrance Silas, a friend who works next door to the theater.
Police have not released information about a suspect or said whether anyone has been arrested. Per KTVU, SFPD spokesman Officer Robert Rueca said investigators are examining what happened before the shooting, including whether the Warfield had the proper permits for the event and was operating within their restrictions.
Previously: Man Killed In Shooting on Market Street Outside SF’s Warfield Theatre
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