According to police, three “heroic” security guards prevented a possible mass shooting by stopping an armed man from entering a Florida strip club.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday morning, was captured on dramatic surveillance video released by the Tampa Police Department on Tuesday. The man was seen walking toward the door of the club, Mons Venus, wearing a red “devil mask” and wielding a fully loaded 9mm handgun, along with a flashlight in one hand.
The security guards, led by a “watchful and alert” Manuel Resto, noticed the man and attempted to take the firearm. During the ensuing struggle, Resto was hit several times in the head with the gun, but he refused to let the suspect win.
Two other security guards helped Resto restrain the suspect until authorities arrived. Police allegedly found two fully loaded magazines, nine knives, firearm accessories, and additional ammunition in the suspect’s pickup truck.
Thanks to the guards’ “heroic actions,” no lives were lost, said Interim Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw. The suspect, identified as Michael Rudman, faces several charges, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and battery.
