The mass shooting in Colorado Springs over the weekend has opened up some old wounds for Golden Dragon Asian Bistro restaurant co-owner Eric Badrall.
On Feb.13, 2019, Stefano Parker, wearing a trench coat, stood in the middle of University Avenue and fired 20 military-grade rounds into Badrall's restaurant in the heart of Hillcrest. Miraculously, none of the 11 staffers or customers inside were shot or seriously hurt.
Badrall credits a higher power and a fortuitously-placed steel menu board.
Club Q Shooting
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“It actually deflected some of the bullets so the way that it was angled it might have saved lives, “ Badrall said.
Eric Badrall and his business partner took over the Golden Dragon Asian Bistro from his Aunt Patty Tamarkin shortly after the shooting.
Stefano pleaded guilty to five charges and was sentenced to 50 years in jail. He wasn’t convicted of a hate crime but investigators said at the time, Parker posted disturbing anti-gay posts on social media.
“Violence is easy. Violence is the easiest thing to do. Understanding is the hardest thing to do," Badrall said. “That’s what I think this was — someone who doesn’t accept that lifestyle and therefore just because he doesn’t accept it no one else can accept it."
It was the compassion, support and protective nature of the Hillcrest community that kept the business going, Badrall said.
Over the pandemic, the restaurant was remodeled. There is a new security system and employees are trained to de-escalate aggressive interactions with the public.
“I am always afraid because I am afraid for the staff in general, but I feel like you can’t live life afraid," Badrall said.
One thing that won't change is the glass-front façade, and while it may leave the restaurant a little more vulnerable, Badrall says this architecture is part of the Hillcrest landscape. It's a landscape he does not want to change.
“Jimmy Wong’s started here in the '50s. We’re not going to take that away because of fear. No one is going to change us. We are just going to continue doing what we do," Badrall said.
San Diego Police Department Chief David Nisleit told NBC 7 there have been no threats to San Diego since the shooting in Colorado, and said he's been in contact with the FBI over the weekend. Chief Nisliet and Mayor Todd Gloria hosted a meeting in Hillcrest Monday night to go over safety measures in San Diego's LGBTQ+ epicenter. Some in the community say the deadly shooting in Colorado rocked their sense of safety.
"When they attack one of us, they attack all of us," meeting participant Alejandro Sanchez Flores said. "So it's not just an attack in Colorado, it's an attack in San Diego and acrosst the country that could happen here any day."
Nisleit said there would be increased officer patrols in the neighborhood, including specialized units.
"We're constantly looking at threats, whether it be on social media platforms, the internet, and obviously, word of mouth. That's how we keep our community safe," Nisleit said.
"Do I feel safe with all the guns on the street and the ability of people to really ramp up emotions in a negative way as a way to prop up their base? No, I don't feel safe," Hillcrest resident Mike Donovan said.
Following the meeting, Nisleit, Gloria and Congresswoman Sarah Jacobs and other local leaders participated in a solidarity march through the neighborhood.
"It's great that we have all the support from the police, the authorities. The FBI was her, the District Attorney was here, it just means that they're here having our back and that means a lot," Sanchez Flores said.
For Badrall, he moves forward with the majority of his staffers that were working at the time of the shooting and a close eye on a positive future.
The mass shooting in Colorado Springs conjures up sad feelings he’d rather forget. He's since developed his own wisdom about such calamity.
“People have to understand each other instead of trying to blame each other for whatever is happening in their lives,” Badrall said.
For the safety of its staff and customers, the bistro changed its hours of operation during the week. It is still open till 2:30 a.m. on weekends.
The Asian Bistro is partnering with other donors and businesses to give the children of King- Chavez Prep school a Holiday Carnival.
It is a reward for students who exhibited outstanding citizenship on its campus this past school year.
