Gunshots rang out behind a Big Bear Lake nightclub, leading to the arrest of two local men for firearms-related charges. A late-night argument escalated into violence around 12:41 a.m. on Wednesday when shots were reportedly fired into the air at the AV Night Club on Pine Knot Avenue.
According to a release by the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department, deputies detained Jonathan Peer, 30, and Christopher Yeager, 29, both residents of Big Bear City. Identified as the shooter, Peer is accused of igniting fear and chaos as bullets sliced through the night's tranquility.
The incident, resulting in a negligent discharge of a firearm, saw the two suspects attempting to evade law enforcement in a white Ram truck, which was intercepted less than two miles from the club. A subsequent search unearthed a handgun magazine in Yeager's possession. A .45 caliber handgun, matching the ammunition and reported stolen from San Antonio, Texas, was later found abandoned near a middle school and bus stop, suggesting it had been discarded from the escaping vehicle.
In an article published by the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department, the handgun's close proximity to where the children gather daily underlines the potential gravity of the incident. Peer faces charges including negligent discharge, child endangerment, and receiving stolen property with his bail set at $135,000. On January 22, 2024, an arraignment awaits him.
Peer's accomplice, Yeager, was booked for accessorizing after the fact with a bail set at $37,500, also pending the same arraignment date. The local law enforcement urges anyone holding information relevant to the case to come forward and contact the Big Bear Sheriff's Station's Detective Bureau or the We-Tip Hotline, guaranteeing anonymity to those who wish to stay unnamed.
