Gunfire was reported during a crowded Halloween event called “Nightmare on Pluto” at 2411 Industrial Drive in Jefferson City early Saturday, Oct. 31. Dispatch records later documented seven shell casings in the roadway outside the venue. No suspects had been identified as of the initial police release.
What Records and Reports Show
Dispatch records obtained through a public records request show officers located seven shell casings in the roadway around 2:41 a.m. on Oct. 31, according to ABC17News. The outlet reported that officers were sent to reports of gunshots at the venue, which it identified as Mel’s Café. Published accounts differ on when police were called: one ABC17News report put it shortly after 1 a.m., another at about 1:15 a.m.; KRCG cited 1:14 a.m., while the News-Tribune cited 1:16 a.m. and called the venue Mel’s Diner.
Police said several hundred people were at the event when the gunfire occurred, ABC17News reported. Dispatch records also noted bullet holes in at least one vehicle at the event, according to the station.
Accounts Differ on Whether Anyone Was Injured
Dispatch records described a woman who may have dislocated her knee. EMS was requested, but later determined not to be needed, ABC17News reported. The station said that account differs from an earlier police release, which stated that no injuries were reported.
Police Chief Eric Wilde told ABC17News the department had no new information. No suspects had been identified as of the initial Saturday morning police release, and the investigation remained open.
A Performer Described the Rush to Leave
The event page advertised “Nightmare on Pluto” as a Halloween party for people 21 and older, with security “strictly enforced,” ABC17News reported. Cameron Duncan, who performed at the event, told the station that he first mistook a sound for either a gunshot or a speaker blowing out; he later noticed one of his speakers was broken.
Duncan told ABC17News that people rushed toward one side of the venue after a gun was apparently spotted, and several fell. He was pushed to the ground but was not injured. He said he had never experienced anything like it at one of his own events and thought more security and staffing could help prevent similar incidents.
A Separate Earlier Jefferson City Shooting
ABC17NEWS reported on Nov. 26, 2022, that two people were killed during a fight at J. Pfenny's Sports Grill and Pub in Jefferson City. That separate shooting occurred inside the bar; the current case concerns gunfire reported at a Halloween event on Industrial Drive, with shell casings found in the roadway outside.
