Restaurant Owners Release Statement On Louie's Lakeside Shooting

Hal Smith Restaurant Group released a statement regarding the shooting at a Louie's restaurant in northwest Oklahoma City that left four injured Thursday. 

The shooting occurred at Louie's Grill & Bar near Lake Hefner around 6:30 p.m. A mother and daughter were among the shooting victims. Natalie Giles and her daughter, Niah said they were at the restaurant at the time of the shooting to celebrate Niah's birthday. Niah's friend was also shot by the gunman, and a fourth person was injured attempting to escape. All victims are expected to survive. 

In the statement, the company said in part, "We are extremely thankful the situation didn't escalate further, and that injuries were were not more widespread. However, our hearts are with the wounded during this incident." 

The suspected gunman was identified by police as Alexander C. Tilghman, 28 early Friday morning. The shooter was shot and killed by two armed citizens, identified as Juan Nazario, 35 and Bryan Wittle, 39. 

Hundreds of witnesses were interviewed by homicide detectives as investigators worked to piece together the scene. 

Read the full statement from Hal Smith Restaurants below:

It is with heavy hearts we report there was a shooting at Louie's Bar & Grill on Lake Hefner on Thursday, May 24 around 6:30 p.m. We are very thankful for our first responders, who secured the scene very quickly. Victims of the incident were rushed to OU Medical to be cared for, and OKCPD has reported that they are expected to survive.
 
At every Hal Smith Restaurant, the safety of our guests and employees is our utmost concern. We are extremely thankful the situation didn’t escalate further, and that injuries were not more widespread. However, our hearts are with the wounded during this incident. We will continue to support our guests and families in any way we can during this difficult time, and we have a counseling team standing by for any employee or customer that may request those services. Louie’s Lakeside will be closed on Friday, May 25, 2018.
 
The shooter’s motive is unknown. This identity is not yet confirmed, and he was found deceased at the scene. The incident is under further investigation with the OKCPD. We recommend visiting OKCPD for more information on the incident.

 Stay with News 9 for more information as it becomes available.