No Suspect In Shooting That Injured Bystander

A man shot while singing karaoke at a north Charlotte bar was not the intended target of a gunman, police said.

Investigators believe the shooting inside the Fox & Hound Pub in the Northlake Commons shopping center was gang-related. They said a man walked into the bar shortly after 1 a.m. Monday and fired several shots at a rival, but three of the shots hit 21-year-old Frank Riffas.

“He was right by the karaoke machine, and the guy that was intended to be shot was behind him, and it was just a freak accident that it was him,” said Jennifer Drury, Riffas’ friend.

Riffas suffered gunshot wounds to a shoulder, his liver and a leg. He is undergoing surgery at Carolinas Medical Center and is expected to make a full recover.

Drury said because Riffas was holding the microphone, at first he thought he had received an electric shock. She said he didn’t realize he’d been hit until he looked down and saw blood.

Investigators said about 60 patrons were in the bar at the time of the shooting. Although they don’t have the name of a suspect, police said witnesses have been able to provide lots of details about the man, including information on his tattoos and on his possibly gang-style clothing.

The investigation is ongoing.