Gunshots ‘like a massive explosion’
Patrons feared for life as bullets peppered club door
AT first, Steve Creen wondered if the flashes of fire bursting through the door of a Hobart cocktail bar were fireworks or an electrical fault.
It was several shots into the volley of high-powered rifle shots before the Hobart builder realised he was in danger.
“I stood there and watched shots coming through the door — there was about seven shots before I realised others around me were yelling ‘get down’,” Mr Creen said.
He and his wife had taken interstate guests to Pablo’s Cocktails and Dreams on Saturday night, and were among about 20 patrons who feared for their lives when the Har- rington St bar was attacked.
The group was only 3-4m from the front door of the bar when it was hit with gun shots from outside.
“It sounded like a massive explosion,” he said. “Then we turned to look and could see a flash of flames bursting through the door, I wondered if it was electrical or firecrackers.”
Mr Creen said it took about seven shots before he realised the club was a target, and people were yelling “get down”.
“You couldn’t hear anything except the ‘bang, bang bang’,” he said.
“Everyone hit the floor and then very quickly it was finished, then we were all stunned looking at each other.”
Mr Creen, who had earlier taken his Queensland guests to the Dark Mofo Winter Feast, said the experience was “quite surreal”.
He said he left through the back door, as he was reluctant to approach the gunshot-pitted front door. “Everyone was in disbelief, no one wanted to go up to the door,” he said.
“But there’s a back door on to an open area for smokers, so after a minute or two I went out there and I walked gingerly out.”
The bar has been closed since the incident, but its Facebook site says it will reopen next week.
Police have urged anyone who saw two people acting suspiciously or running in the area of Harrington Lane, Harrington St and Bathurst St about 12.06am Sunday to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
Investigators are also keen to speak with two potential witnesses who were standing on the intersection of Bathurst and Watchorn streets, and then walked west on Bathurst St. A potential third witness crossed the road to a laneway adjacent to Elite Appliances before returning to the group.
One of the suspects is described as being up to 40 years old and between 1.7m and 1.85m tall with thick set/muscular build. The man has red facial hair and was wearing a long-sleeved black top, black tradies trousers and black boots at the time.
The second man was described as wearing a dark or grey-coloured top and dark jeans. Officers found a rifle and ammunition near the scene.