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Man Arrested For Threatening To Shoot Up Bushwick Bar 'Orlando-Style'
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Jun 15, 2016
Modified Jun 15, 2016
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By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Jun 15, 2016
Modified Jun 15, 2016
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A man was arrested this week after he allegedly warned the bouncer of a Bushwick bar that he planned to "shoot this place up...Orlando style."
The NYPD tells us that Justin Rice, 40, was at Happy Fun Hideaway on Myrtle Avenue near Willoughby Avenue at around 11:15 p.m. on Monday, when he got into a loud argument with his girlfriend. When a bouncer asked him to leave the bar, Rice allegedly told him, "I'm going to shoot this place up and get my 50 just like Orlando, Florida," and said, "I’m going to come back Orlando-style."
Rice also allegedly called the bouncer gay slurs, and police say he punched the bouncer and threw a bucket at him. Rice was arrested and charged with assault, harassment, and criminal possession of a weapon.
Happyfun, which opened in 2013, hosts a number of queer-oriented events and has long since been considered an "unofficial" LGBT bar in the neighborhood, making Rice's alleged threats all the more disconcerting. A regular told NY1, "I'm going to go to work like I do every day, and I'm going to have drinks when and where I feel." He added, "I mean, it's terrible, but at the same time, you know, you can't let a few crazy people, there's always going to be crazy people, and can't let crazy people dictate your life."
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Rebecca Fishbein
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