Man says he helped disarm shooter at Blue Martini

Victim fatally shot at Fort Lauderdale bar on eve of his birthday

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A man who was performing onstage with his band during a shooting Wednesday night at Blue Martini in Fort Lauderdale said he helped disarm the shooter.

Julian Vazquez was onstage with Eddie Bustamante and his bandmates from the Clique when shots were fired shortly before midnight inside the bar at the upscale Galleria mall.

One man was killed and two others were wounded in the shooting.

Fort Lauderdale police said Arnold Person, 43, of Miami, was pronounced dead at the scene. He would have turned 44 on Thursday.

Two other victims were taken to Broward Health Medical Center.

Vazquez told Local 10 News he saw the altercation that led to the shooting and believes the gunman had the victim in a headlock when he died.

The body of a shooting victim is removed from Blue Martini in Fort Lauderdale.

"I believe the brother of the victim, he was pummeling the shooter, or one of the shooters," Vazquez recalled. "And he loosened the gun from him, and me and another guy got the gun out. I pulled the clip out and took a bullet out of the chamber."

Family members of the victims gathered at the hospital, telling Local 10 News they had been at Blue Martini for a celebration of life for a relative who recently died. They said someone bumped another person, prompting the fight.

Bustamante said chaos ensued after the shooting, with people jumping over tables and running to get away.

"We just collectively knew we needed to get out of there as soon as possible," he said.

Police said one person was taken into custody for questioning, but no arrests have been made.