GoFundMe/San Antonio Police Department Rebar bar in San Antonio/Jenelius Crew
Jenelius Crew, a man who claimed to be a UFC fighter, allegedly opened fire outside Rebar, a San Antonio bar, in Texas Friday, San Antonio Police said.
Eight people were hit, but none were fatally injured, according to San Antonio Police Chief William McManus. U.S. Marshals arrested Crew, 37, in Miami, Florida, San Antonio Police announced Thursday, six days after the shooting.
Although police said Crew claimed to be a UFC fighter, referring to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, he is not listed on the UFC’s list of 843 athletes.
The suspect opened fire after he was denied entrance into the bar, according to San Antonio Police. He asked the bouncer, “Don’t you know who I am?” before going to his car for a rifle at about 11:30 p.m. Friday, June 12, 2020.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Jenelius Crew Allegedly Opened Fire After He Was Denied Entry into Rebar & Was Arrested at a Miami Hotel
Jenelius Crew, the suspect accused of a shooting at Rebar, a San Antonio, Texas, bar, claimed that he was a UFC fighter from California before opening fire, said San Antonio Police Chief William McManus during a press conference.
A group of four to five people, including two men and two or three women, were together at a bar across the street from Rebar on Broadway Street. They tried to get into Rebar, but a bouncer turned them away, McManus said.
“They were not allowed to go in because they were inebriated,” he said. “One of the two males made a statement, ‘Don’t you know who I am? I’m a UFC fighter from California.'”
He said they walked away, but the male walked to his car, took out a long rifle and walked back across the street to the bar parking lot.
“He opened fire. He hit eight individuals. None of them are deceased. They are in stable condition. The most serious one was hit in the back,” he said.
San Antonio Police collected evidence on the scene that led them to Crew. Information led them to a hotel in Miami, Florida, where they learned Crew was staying. The U.S. Marshals Service Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force conducted surveillance on the hotel, and saw him leaving. The task force and Broward County Sheriff’s Office took Crew into custody without incident. He was charged with eight counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, police said.
San Antonio Police said in a statement:
On June 12, 2020, SAPD officers responded to a shooting in progress at a local bar where (8) eight victims had been shot. Homicide detectives began collecting evidence and through the course of the investigation developed information on a suspect. Yesterday, the Homicide Unit obtained (8) eight Aggravated Assault/Deadly Weapon arrest warrants for Jenelius Crew. This morning, members of the U.S. Marshals Service Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force received information that Jenelius Crew was staying at a hotel located in Miami, FL. While conducting surveillance, task force officers observed Crew exit the hotel room. The Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force and Broward County Sheriff’s Office made contact with Crew and took him into custody without incident. Crew was booked into the Miami-Dade County Jail.
2. Jenelius Crew Was Charged With 8 Counts of Aggravated Assault With a Deadly Weapon & Was Jailed in Florida
Jenelius Crew was in a group of four or five people at a different bar across the street from Rebar earlier in the night. The group included two men and two or three woman, according to San Antonio Police Chief William McManus. They went over to Rebar, where they were denied entry into the bar because of their levels of intoxication.
“They were not allowed to go in because they were inebriated,” he said. “One of the two males made a statement, ‘Don’t you know who I am? I’m a UFC fighter from California.'”
The group left, but the suspect went to his car and returned with a long gun.
Although the gunman was outside the bar when he began shooting, Greg Bickerstaff, a representative of Rebar, told KSAT bullets were coming through the front door.
Crew was arrested following a joint effort between law enforcement in multiple states, San Antonio Police said. He was arrested without incident by the The U.S. Marshals Service Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force and Broward County Sheriff’s Office following surveillance by the task force.
U.S. Marshal Susan Pamerleau credited the arrest to collaborative efforts by law enforcement in a statement to Fox San Antonio.
““It’s apparent that criminals don’t pay much attention to city limits, county and state lines or even the borders of the United States,” she said. “It’s the collaborative efforts and partnerships with state and local agencies that enable us to reduce violent crime across this nation.”
3. Jenelius Crew Claimed to Be a UFC Fighter, Police Said, But He Is Not Listed on a UFC Database
San Antonio Police said that Jenelius Crew claimed to be a UFC fighter before allegedly opening fire outside a bar. Crew was referring to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Crew is not listed on the UFC’s database of athletes, which includes 843 fighters.
UFC President Dana White said on ESPN he hoped the claim was untrue, and said he heard about it within hours after it happened.
Crew is 5 feet 3 inches and weighs about 167 pounds, according to Fox San Antonio.
Crew was accused of shooting eight people in the parking lot of Rebar. They were all in stable condition after the shooting. The most serious injury was suffered by a person who was hit in the back, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said.
The victims include five males and three females, ranging in age from 23 to 41, he said. Two of them were grazed by bullets, and did not need to be transported to the hospital, McManus said. He said he did not yet know how many shots were fired.
“There were a lot of shots fired. Eight people hit,” he said.
A man and woman who were in the bar told KENS5 they ducked for cover, and police arrived quickly after the gunfire started.
“Inside the bar, we ducked for cover. We didn’t know what’s happening, you know,” the man said. “And the cops got called immediately.”
4. Jenelius Crew Was on a San Antonio Most Wanted List Following a Burglary & Assault on a Woman
Waking up to discover another mass shooting last night
😱😥🤬
BTW yesterday was the anniversary of the Pulse Club shooting.
Man who shot 8 people outside bar in San Antonio said he was a UFC fighter from Cali & asked a bouncer, “Don’t you know who I am?” t.co/sIlgItSOCx
Jenelius Crew was on the Most Wanted list for Fox San Antonio in July 2017 after he was accused of breaking into a woman’s house and assaulting her while he was on supervised release for multiple convictions. In October 2013, he was sentenced to 57 months in prison for multiple counts involving conspiracy and making false statements to illegally purchase firearms. He was serving three years of supervised release when authorities said he broke into the woman’s home, and then fled the scene after allegedly assaulting her.
Jenelius Crew, the suspect in the Rebar bar shooting told a bouncer, “Don’t you know who I am?” saying he was a UFC fighter from California. After he was denied entry into the bar, he went to his car and came back with a rifle, according to San Antonio Police Chief William McManus.
The first reports of the shooting outside the Broadway Street bar came in at 11:30 p.m. today, Friday, June 12, 2020, according to McManus. You can watch the full video press conference here.
“At about 11:30 we got a call of shots being fired. Officers arrived on the scene and what they found was that eight people had been shot in the bar across the street,” he said.
5. Rebar Bar Had Recently Reopened During the Coronavirus Pandemic & Started a Fundraiser for the Shooting Victims
U.S. Marshals arrested 37-year-old Jenelius Crew Thursday morning as he left a hotel in Miami, police said in a statement. t.co/fDqXPZeTTu
Rebar bar had only reopened about three weeks before the shooting after a long closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. The bar reopened Friday, May 22, and was operating at 25 percent capacity because of COVID-19 regulations, according to Rebar’s Facebook page.
Rebar bar in San Antonio set up a fundraising page to support the San Antonio bar shooting victims. Eight people were shot at about 11:30 p.m. at the Broadway Street nightclub Friday, June 12, 2020. The victims range from 23 to 41. All of them were in stable condition Friday night, and two did not require hospitalization because they were grazed by bullets.
All of the victims survived the shooting, San Antonio Police told KSAT Saturday morning.
“Our hearts go out to those victims injured and affected by this senseless act of rage,” Rebar wrote on its Facebook page. “It is hard to express the sadness we feel and pray they all make a full recovery. This rogue act should not go unpunished and the actors should face the full punishment of the law. We have set-up a go-fund-me page for the victims and their families. Your support will be greatly appreciated.”
The bar was opened again Saturday night despite the shooting, Rebar representative Greg Bickerstaff told KSAT.
Rebar had live music Friday night with one of its frequent artists, DJ Ceejay, the bar wrote on its Facebook page Friday afternoon.
“DJ Ceejay spinning out the tunes tonight tonight at Rebar! Music starts at 10pm! — feeling pumped,” the page said.