Pensacola man arrested after allegedly shooting at women outside of “Bingo Paradise”

PENSACOLA, Fl. (WALA) - One man is in the Escambia County, Florida jail facing a number of charges after shots were fired outside of a bingo hall in Pensacola.

The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said Lee David Wilkerson got into an altercation with two women trying to enter the building. They say Wilkerson pulled a gun and hit one woman with it before firing in their direction.

Thankfully no one was hit. Fannie Stanford said she nearly had a front-row seat as it unfolded.

“I was sitting in the second row, right from the front door. A young lady came inside, and she yelled. And I heard her say, they got a gun. She went back outside and there was pop,” Stanford said.

That’s when she and others in the building fled to safety with help from the staff.

“The manager came, and he was ready. He told all of us to get down. And we got down and headed towards the back. We all were secured in the back. We locked ourselves inside until it was over,” Stanford said.

The sheriff’s office said it was the efforts of two bystanders who pulled their own guns and held Wilkerson until they arrived.

Stanford said the quick thinking from the staff and the help from the two people who detained Wilkerson, she feels safe coming back tonight to play again.

“Nothing is going to stop me from playing bingo,” Stanford said.

Wilkerson is facing several charges including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and trafficking meth. The Sheriff’s office said they found the gun he allegedly tossed inside of a dumpster.

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