Tallahassee police are investigating a fatal shooting early Saturday morning outside a Sharer Road bar and pool hall, marking the second deadly shooting tied to a local pool hall in recent weeks.
Officers were called at about 2 a.m. to the parking lot of Pockets Pool and Pub, located in the 2800 block of Sharer Road, after reports of gunfire, according to a Tallahassee Police Department incident alert.
When officers arrived, they found an adult male suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Police said officers attempted life‑saving measures, but the man died from his injuries at the scene.
No additional details about the victim or a possible suspect were released. Police said the case remains an open and active homicide investigation.
According to their Facebook page, Pockets was hosting a Mothers Day Kickoff party with a live DJ, food, drinks and a hookah earlier in the night in which mothers were free till 11 p.m. The pool hall closes at 2 a.m., according to their website.
About a year ago, Pockets posted on Facebook about past problems in the parking lot.
“Pockets takes the safety and security of its patrons and the surrounding areas extremely serious. Over the year we’ve taken extra steps to make our facilities safer by adding more security measures, providing more training for our employees and partnering with TPD,” the business wrote. “Pockets is in a mall type complex with a large parking lot, and in certain circumstances, employees have called police over altercations that have nothing to do with our establishment. We’re proud members of the Tallahassee community, we’re thankful to TPD for their support, and safety will remain our number one priority.”
The pool hall parking lot has become a frequent destination for police over the years.
In July 2023, three people were shot outside the pool hall in the parking lot in the early morning hours. One of the victims later sued the club for negligence and what it said was shoddy security.
Last year, four women were arrested after allegedly beating a man in the parking lot outside the pool hall.
The May 9 shooting comes just weeks after a deadly incident at Zingales Billiards & Sports Bar on Apalachee Parkway, where a man was shot and killed inside the business during the early morning hours of Easter Sunday. That shooting sparked public concern and calls for increased security at the pool hall.
In that case, which was the last fatal shooting in Tallahassee, police described a large physical altercation inside the pool hall before gunfire erupted.
The circumstances are unclear in the latest shooting.
So far this year, eight people have been killed and 14 injured in at least 20 serious shootings in the capital city and county, according to a Tallahassee Democrat analysis of gun violence that tracks incidents involving injury, death or a clear risk of serious harm.
Investigators are asking anyone who may have information about Saturday’s shooting at Pockets — and who did not speak with an officer at the scene — to contact the Tallahassee Police Department at 850‑891‑4200. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Crime Solvers at 850‑574‑TIPS.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Fatal shooting at Tallahassee pool hall is second in recent weeks
Reporting by Staff reports, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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