FMPD hopes recent shooting doesn’t scare people away from downtown Fort Myers

Reporter: Dannielle Garcia Writer: Matthew Seaver
Published: Updated:
Still from surveillance video of the shooting outside Celsius Night Club early Monday morning.

Downtown Fort Myers has a lot to offer during the day, but people who frequent the area at night are concerned after a recent shooting.

After watching the video and hearing the shooting, it is hard not to wonder if downtown Fort Myers is safe.

The police lieutenant in charge of patrols downtown said he knows any crime sends potential visitors the wrong message. The city’s goal is to bring people to downtown Fort Myers.

The city wants the business district to be a safe place to bring family and enjoy the farmers market.

Is it possible the shooting early Monday morning will turn away the same people Fort Myers works so hard to get to come downtown?

RELATED: Shots fired in downtown Fort Myers has business owner concerned

Shana Riggs works in downtown Fort Myers. She said, “I have an office with employees, so yeah, it’s concerning. I told my coworkers the other day after the incident I heard some pops, and it made me think, is this gunshots?”

Surveillance video not only captured the shots fired but the fistfight that started it all.

Lieutenant Shawn Yates, who oversees law enforcement’s patrols of downtown, said, “we definitely don’t want to be known as, ‘hey you want to come downtown to see a shooting.’ We don’t want that. 100% incidents like this, yeah, they hurt the downtown area.”

Sunday nights into Monday mornings aren’t typically trouble. Fort Myers police had one bike officer on duty, but he went home sick.

So, the department relied on its usual patrols to cover downtown.

The shooting happened near Celsius Night Club. Club owner Kip Notbohm said bouncers usually pat people down before letting people in, but they did not that night.

Around 2 a.m., what started as a fight, ended in gunfire.

“It’s not because of our establishment. I mean, people want to say that because we play hip hop, but that’s not true. It can happen anywhere,” said Notbohm.

Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson said, “we have seen an uptick in some issues with two places in downtown right across the street from each other.”

Mayor Anderson is talking specifically about Celsius and The Indigo Room.

Yates said FMPD recently sat down with the owner of Celsius and the owner of The Indigo Room. The goal is to find a way to work together to keep everyone safe, and that plan may include putting extra patrols on duty in the area.

As for the shooter, he got away.

Anyone with information about the shooter is asked to call Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-8477. You can see a picture of the suspect provided by Fort Myers police below.

Fort Myers police are searching for this unknown male in relation to a shooting near Celsius Night Club in downtown Fort Myers. (CREDIT: Fort Myers Police Department)

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