As family members mourn a man who was shot and killed inside a popular Tallahassee pool hall, some patrons are calling for greater security to handle raucous late night crowds.
Tevin Gaines, 32, was shot during what police called a “public affray” inside Zingales Billiards & Sports Bar on Apalachee Parkway about a mile away from the Florida Capitol. The violence broke out around 1:30 a.m. April 5, during the pre-dawn hours of Easter Sunday.
Multiple videos of the mayhem surfaced on social media, including one in which gunshots can be heard ringing out as security personnel struggled to subdue patrons involved in what appeared to be a large brawl.
Another video showed first-responders helping an injured person at the front door as police led someone else away. However, Jerome Maples, a spokesman for the Tallahassee Police Department said that as of April 6, no arrests have been made.
Some regulars described Zingales a usually friendly place to grab a drink or shoot a game of pool that can get overwhelmed by large crowds particularly on weekends and after midnight, when the parking lot outside is often full of partiers and police.
“This used to be a safe place,” one woman posted on Facebook. “Fun, laughter, gatherings. All changed instantly. I stopped hanging out because of the chaos.”
Another woman posted a Facebook Reels video expressing her condolences to the victim’s loved ones but defending the establishment.
“What I don’t understand is why y’all are hollering out shut down Zingales and all of that when it’s not Zingales,” she said. “Let’s be honest. It’s not Zingales. It’s the people… it’s that mindset that y’all got to want to hurt and harm one another.”
Zingales posted on Facebook hours after the shooting that a customer lost their life in a “senseless act of violence.” Michael Zingales, the owner, told the Democrat on April 6 that he and the staff were “shaken up” by the shooting.
“(We) just feel bad for the guy and the family and everything that’s going on,” he said. “It’s just a tragedy, and it’s just really sad.”
Gaines’ family and friends expressed shock and disbelief at his untimely death.
“Words can’t even explain how I’m feeling right now,” said an aunt, Quantara Clarke, in a Facebook video.
‘Late-night revenue requires late-night responsibility’
The Parkway Center parking lot was the site of two separate fatal shootings — including one mass shooting — in 2024.
On May 12, 2024, multiple people were shot and two were killed during another early Sunday incident two days after a tornado outbreak knocked out power to the area. Zingales and other business in the shopping center were closed at the time.
On Sept. 29, 2024, a man was shot outside Zingales in an after-hours incident and died at the scene.
Marcus Duval, who plays pool five times a week at Zingales, wrote in a Facebook post back in February that it becomes “the after-hours hub” after other places close on Wednesdays and Fridays. He said staff is “visibly stretched thin” by the influx of people.
“Zingales, late-night revenue requires late-night responsibility,” he wrote. He closed by saying, “Ownership, there are no excuses… I tell you every week that you are going to be bombarded and every week you drop the ball.”
Michael Zingale told the Democrat in a text message that the business has contracted with a security team ever since the Pandemic began in 2020.
He said the security presence has increased as they got busier, with nine men working Fridays and Saturdays over recent months. He said he also bought them metal detectors.
“All the tools have been in place to keep a safe environment as we have provided for 15 years of business,” Zingale wrote. “And we will continue to do so.”
TJ Chapman, who manages big-name rappers, travels frequently but goes to Zingales nightly when he’s in town. He said regulars, who are mostly middle-aged or older, come to play pool, eat good food or have a drink, but that a younger crowd comes after midnight looking for more of a club atmosphere.
“It’s like a Cheers for Tallahassee,” he said. “You see all the same people. It’s a great place. You know the staff. You know the security. It’s never any issues. But it’s the other crowd that comes in that changes the whole environment and creates the issues.”
Zingales remained closed on April 6, the day after the shooting. But the owner said Zingales would reopen on April 7.
Maples said in an email that the investigation remains “open and active,” though he couldn’t provide details of the shooting.
“What I can say is that we are tracking down all leads and encouraging anyone who may have witnessed the incident but did not speak with officers on scene to contact TPD at 850-891-4200,” he wrote. “Individuals may also remain anonymous by contacting Crime Solvers at 850-574-8477.”
Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or 850-599-2180.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: ‘Just a tragedy’: Pool hall shooting sparks calls for more security
Reporting by Jeff Burlew, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
