Mom & daughter terrified as mass shooting erupts during birthday party at Oklahoma eatery

An armed bystander is being hailed as a hero by police after gunning down a shooter at Louie’s Grill & Bar in Oklahoma City Thursday, killing him, according to CBS.

The gunman, who was reportedly wearing ear and eye protection, walked into the restaurant and opened fire, striking a mother and her child celebrating a birthday, who are expected to survive. A bystander armed with a pistol lay in wait outside of the restaurant and opened fire as the now-deceased suspect ran from the scene, Oklahoma Capt. Bo Mathews said at a press conference.

“Right now, all I know is that it was just a good Samaritan that was there and looks like he took the right measures to be able to put an end to a terrible, terrible incident,” Mathews said.

A motive in the shooting isn’t known at this time, and the identify of the suspect hasn’t been confirmed, reports KFOR.

A witness, Ron Benton, told the news station that he wasn’t sure what was going on at first, and said the shooter appeared to be in his 20’s.

“He was just a 20-something-year-old kid, I don’t know,” Benton told KFOR, “Didn’t look very old. He was wearing ear protection and eye protection that you would have at a shooting range, so obviously he intended to come here and shoot tonight.”

Dennis Will told CBS that his daughter, Natalie Will, and 12-year-old granddaughter Niah were at the establishment when Niah was shot, and Natalie grazed by a bullet. The mother and daughter hid in a bathroom until the terrifying ordeal was over, Dennis said.  

In addition to the mother and daughter who were injured, a man broke his leg as he attempted to run out of the restaurant, and a fourth person suffered a minor injury, according to police.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) said in a tweet that the armed Good Samaritan is an example of how guns can save people in such situations.

“An #ArmedCitizen saved multiple lives last night in #OKC,” the NRA tweeted this morning. “We hope this serves as a wake-up call for @GovMaryFallin, who just two weeks ago vetoed a constitutional carry bill. Just another example of how the best way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. #2A”

[Feature photo: Facebook/Natalie Will]