On March 19, 2023, a man identified as Michael Rudman was seen wearing a red “devil mask” and walked to the door of a club. With a flashlight in one hand and a 9mm handgun in the other he attempted to enter a local Tampa nightclub. Later authorities reported he had the words “kill” and “dark one” written on his arms.
Security guard, Maneul Resto, told reporters that the mask was a red flag because it wasn’t Halloween. As the masked man pointed the gun at the door, Resto sprung into action.
“I then decided that he was not going to enter the club and hurt anybody,” Resto said.
“I almost went unconscious, but … I wasn’t going to let this happen,” he said. “I was not going to let him win. He was not going to hurt nobody.”
A single round did go off, but Resto and two other security guards held Rudman down until Police could arrive on the scene.
“All of this happened in less than a minute,” Interim Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said. “And any police officer will tell you — fighting with an armed suspect for a minute seems like an eternity.”
It was estimated that almost 200 people were inside the club when the incident took place around 1:15 am.
“There is no question in my mind that had it not been for the brave men you see standing next to me that we could have been here discussing a mass shooting in the city of Tampa. But thanks to their heroic actions, today an armed suspect is in custody and no lives were lost,” said Bercaw.
Police are still trying to put together a motive and have learned that Rudman had been to the club the previous night.
Currently, Reudman is facing the charges of “aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault, both felonies, and battery, which is a misdemeanor, court records show. He also faces the charge of purchasing, possessing or receiving a firearm while under a risk protection order. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office served him a risk protection order last year, Tampa police said.”
Since Florida is not a blue state Rudman is being held in prison with NO BOND and will not be released on the account of stupid cashless bail policies.
BREAKING: Security guard stops mass shooting in Tampa nightclub pic.twitter.com/WCAj9omaPb
— Jack Posobiec ???????? (@JackPosobiec) March 22, 2023
