Shooters Waterfront now has an accidental shooter to match its name.
An off-duty Florida corrections officer reached into his pocket for a valet ticket at the Fort Lauderdale eatery on Saturday evening, but somehow he found the trigger of his handgun. He fired a round that sent shrapnel flying into at least six diners, the Sun Sentinel reports.
The unidentified officer called his supervisor immediately following the 7:30 p.m incident. At least six police cars, a fire truck and two ambulances responded to the scene, according to The Miami Herald.
One of the injured patrons was treated at a nearby hospital. The others were treated at the scene.
Although the restaurant was crowded, uninjured patrons reportedly didn't know that the sound they heard was a gunshot.
From the Sun Sentinel:
"People didn't know what it was," said Grant. "People looked to see if a light blew, or a Champagne cork popped ... There was not a lot of alarm, no panic."
He said the restaurant continued admitting customers and stayed open until the usual closing time at 1 or 1:30 a.m.
The shooting was deemed accidental. The Associated Press reports that the bullet hit the base of a table and burst into fragments, sending shrapnel around the room.
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