CHARLOTTE — Brazwells is one of the most popular bars on Montford Drive. But a man lost his life there in a shooting early Saturday morning.
Remnants of crime scene tape were still up in the parking lot Saturday afternoon.
“Brazwells, we frequent after work everyday,” said Jane Chappell, a customer. “It’s not exciting to hear that incident occurred next to the place where you work.”
Mason Johnson and Luke Connor are regulars and they, like everyone else, tried to learn what happened.
“I asked the bartender, like, what happened over here last night,” Johnson said. “She said there was an argument between two gentlemen at the bar.”
But the incident happened in the parking lot.
Officers responded to the 1600 block of Montford Drive shortly after 1 a.m. When they arrived, they found someone with a gunshot wound.
The victim, who has been identified as 57-year-old Galal Abadi, was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.
While some customers questioned whether to come to the bar Saturday, that wasn’t an issue for Mark Sumwalt.
“I just thought, you know what? These guys probably need our support now. They didn’t ask for this,” Sumwalt said. “They got a bad break. I don’t know the circumstances. They were probably at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
The fact that Saturday’s deadly encounter may have started as an argument has some customers thinking.
“You never know who you’re talking to,” said Connor. “Brush them on the shoulder at the bar, you never know who that person is. You never know what they are going to do.”
Police have not released the name of the other party involved. That person has been interviewed and has not been arrested or charged at this time.
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