Attacker seeks out
gay bar, injures 3
By Ray Henry, AP from
chicagotribune.com February 3, 2006
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. -- The
attacker hid his weapons in a hooded sweatshirt as he strode into a popular gay
tavern known for its quiet atmosphere.
The young man flashed an apparently fake ID, the bartender said, and calmly
ordered a drink, asking whether he was at a gay bar. Told that he was, he
attacked the patrons with a hatchet and handgun, sending three men to the
hospital early Thursday, one with critical injuries.
Authorities in this historic seaport searched for Jacob Robida, 18, who was
charged in an arrest warrant with assault, attempted murder and civil rights
violations.
According to court papers attached to the warrant, Robida's mother told police
he came home around 1 a.m., bleeding from the head, and then left again.
Officers who searched his bedroom found what they described as "Nazi regalia"
and anti-Semitic writings on the wall, the police affidavit said. It said
Robida was recognized by a woman in the bar.
"Obviously, we have a man who's dangerous, who's not rational, and he has
weapons," said Bristol District Atty. Paul Walsh Jr.
The bartender at Puzzles Lounge told The Associated Press the assailant walked
in around midnight and drank a rum on the rocks. He ordered another and
walked to the back of the bar, where two men were playing pool.
The attacker shoved one of the men to the ground, then pulled a hatchet from his
sweatshirt and began swinging it at the man's head, said the bartender, who
asked to be identified only by his first name, Phillip, because of concerns
about his own safety while the gunman is at large.
The second pool player intervened, swinging at the assailant with his pool cue,
but the attacker fended him off, the bartender said.
Several other patrons tried to stop him, and he was knocked off his feet,
sending the hatchet flying, Phillip said.
The attacker then pulled out the handgun and shot one man, according to the
bartender. He fired another bullet into the chest of a patron who was
leaving the bathroom.
"He was shooting at everyone," the bartender said. The attacker shoved the
bartender before running up the street, he said.
All three victims remained hospitalized. Police said one was in critical
condition.
Puzzles is popular with New Bedford's gay community. Police said they
rarely respond to reports of trouble there.
"If all the bars in the city were that quiet, we'd be great," police Capt.
Richard Spirlet said.
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