Atlanta Nightclub Shooting: Police Arrest Murder Suspect

ATLANTA, GA — The Atlanta police announced Wednesday that they have arrested a man accused of shooting and killing two people and wounding two others at a rap concert Sunday night in a downtown nightclub. The police charged Jonathan Bautista, 23, with two counts of murder for the shootings in Underground Atlanta.

He was apprehended Wednesday in Social Circle, Ga., a town 45 miles east of Atlanta, the police said. The shooting Sunday at the Masquerade nightclub occurred when two of the victims got rowdy and climbed onto the stage; another concert-goer started arguing with them and then pulled out a pistol and shot them, according to media reports.

The gunman, alleged to be Bautista, then fired shots at the floor of the club, striking two other people. The shooting led to a stampede out of the club.

The police said an unarmed security guard saw the shooter, but he got away, say media reports. The shooting occurred just before the concert's main act, rapper Cousin Stizz, took to the stage.

Police arrived at about 9:40 p.m. at the scene of the shooting, in The Underground shopping center at 50 Lower Alabama St. SW, according to media reports. The incident occurred in the Masquerade Club’s "Hell" music venue in the Kenny’s Alley section of Underground Atlanta, the police said.

Officers found the four wounded victims, and one died at the scene with a gunshot wound to the chest. When the shots rang out, everyone in the venue fled out the front door, including the shooting suspext and the victims.

The shooting victims who died had collapsed near the stairs going up to the exit, the police said.

Three of the shooting victims were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where the second victim was pronounced dead Sunday night with gunshot wounds to the upper and lower torso, the police said. The two survivors, believed to be bystanders, were stable Monday morning with foot and ankle wounds.

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