Charleston , Kanawha County , West Virginia

Police have made an arrest in the triple shooting that happened on Capitol Street early Saturday morning.

Charleston Police took down the suspected shooter as he was leaving a restaurant on the West Side. It happened around 4:00 Tuesday.

"They came in to get something to eat and the next thing we know police were saying, 'Get on the ground, get on the ground.' We didn't know what was going on," Sistah's Rib Shack Owner Donna Sales says.

Police swarmed her restaurant on 7th Avenue after receiving an anonymous call that Braheem Griffin was inside. They had been searching for him and believe he is the man who pulled the trigger in the triple shooting, outside of Sky Lounge on Capitol Street Saturday. Detectives were driving by the restaurant when they say the spotted Griffin and another man Curtis Watkins. Police say the pair looked like they were going to run so guns were drawn. The two were taken down without any problems. Police say both men had loaded guns on them.

Watkins is charged with carrying a concealed and dangerous weapon. Grifffin is charged with three counts of malicious wounding because three men were hit in the shooting and five counts of wanton endangerment because other people on the street could have been hurt.

Police say the shooting was sparked by a fight over a girl. They say that fight started inside Sky Lounge and that Griffin was waiting outside to get retaliation.

The take down happened in the parking lot of Sistah's Rib Shack. The business is already back to business as usual.

"I want to tell my customers to keep on coming, this is not a normal day over here at Sistah's Rib Shack. We don't know what the customers are out there doing out there on the street," Sales says.

---

Police have made an arrest in connection with a weekend shooting.

Three people were shot outside of the Sky Lounge Bar early Saturday morning. Two of the victims were inside of the bar when they were hit.

Police arrested Braheem Griffin and Curtis Watkins as they were coming out of Sistah's RibShack on Seventh Avenue in North Charleston about 4 p.m. Tuesday. Police said Griffin and Watkins had weapons and tried to run, but police were able to apprehend them.

Owners of Sistah's RibShack said the men were in the business to eat and were arrested as they were leaving.

The three people shot Saturday were identified as Shawn Williams, 23, William Wallace, 34, and Varryl Venson, 44. Williams and Venson have been treated and released; Wallace is in fair condition.

Stay tuned to Eyewitness News for the latest on this continuing story.

---

A night out on the town took a violent turn Saturday morning at Sky Lounge Bar on Capitol Street. Now, Sky Lounge Bar is closed for 10 days. The Alcohol Beverage Control Administration closed the bar temporarily.

A man opened fire outside of the bar about 2:30 a.m. Two men inside the bar were hit and a third man outside of the bar also was shot.

Detectives said a fight started inside, then escalated. "There is indication that there may have been an altercation over a female. And a fight ensued, spilled out into the streets and the shots were fired," said Lt. Steve Cooper, chief of detectives for the Charleston Police Department.

The three victims were identified as Shawn Williams, 23, William Wallace, 34, and Varryl Venson, 44.

Police records said Williams has a checkered past with drugs.

Joe Guilfoile said he's not shocked about the shooting. He owns Big Joe's. which is a few feet away from Sky Lounge. He said there has been trouble at the bar before, and he hopes the troubles stay away from his bar. "They're probably doing me a favor keeping it down there to tell you the truth. I don't want it in my place," Guilfoile said.

The three victims are expected to be OK, and police are now on the hunt for the shooter.

And while the hunt continues, some people say they are watching their backs. But they won't let the violence keep them away from one of Charleston's most happening streets.

"I live my life. I can't let it take my life away from me," Charleston resident Patti McCauley said.

Guilfoile said the shooting casts a pall over what should be a good time. “You're supposed to be having fun downtown, and it just doesn't seem like they're doing that," he said.

The gunman is described as a black man, in his mid to late 20s. He is 6 feet 1 inches tall and 200 pounds.

The owner of the bar said she's already fired the manager and will make changes with the D.J. and music.

Anyone with information on the shooting should call Charleston police at 304-348-6480.

How To Contact WCHS-TV8 | Privacy Policy | FCC Public File | Terms and Conditions | DMCA Policy | Frequently Asked Questions

Home | Eyewitness News Newsroom | Storm Team Weather | Eyewitness Sports | Schedules

---

Send email to news@wchstv.com for information or comments concerning WCHS-TV Eyewitness News.

Copyright ©2013, WCHS-TV8. Portions are
Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or distributed.