MIDLAND, Texas — A man is sitting behind bars Friday afternoon after causing chaos in the parking lot of a Midland shopping center, San Miguel Square.
John Eckstadt III started firing a gun in the air and at parked cars around 2 a.m. Thursday night.
Witnesses told NewsWest 9 that just before closing, an argument started inside of Torino's Pizza Bar.
That's when Eckstadt moved outside and began firing his gun.
Eckstadt was arrested for 3 separate charges: deadly conduct discharge with a firearm, public intoxication and unlawfully carrying a weapon on alcohol premises.
Tracy Scott works in the San Miguel shopping center. He found out about the shooting Friday when he got to work.
"You find out and you're like wow... you just don't expect that here, even though we have a couple of bars in San Miguel you just don't expect that," said Scott.
"Anytime that you have bar establishments and rowdy guests you're going to get this kind of stuff. You don't really expect to see gunplay... a fistfight, a knife drawn... maybe but you just don't expect gunplay so like I said it's a little unsettling"
A representative with the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission said when they receive complaints that involve guns and bars they start to investigate.
"What we will do is obviously interview witnesses and look at the circumstances of the case but before we make any determination on whether or not we need to pursue a violation related to handgun laws," said Chris Porter, the communications officer for TABC.
"Again, every case is different and we want to make sure that the bars are doing what they need to do to keep people from knowingly bringing a handgun onto the premises."
TABC says they have received a complaint about Thursday night's shooting and will be investigating.
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