Man who fired shots in Trolley Square at Halloween Loop used stolen gun, was drunk or high, court docs show
The man arrested for firing a gun during the Wilmington Halloween Loop used a stolen firearm and appeared to be either drunk or high, court documents said.
Tyler Vega, 25, of New Castle, was arrested shortly after gunfire erupted in Trolley Square early Sunday morning. He is in Howard Young Correctional Institute on $100,000 cash-only bail, Wilmington Police said.
Read the court documents yourself at the bottom of this page.
Officers converged on Trolley Square about 1 a.m. Sunday, just after closing time. Two officers were driving past the Logan House when a large fight broke out, court documents said.
They heard what was clearly gunfire, pulled over and ran toward the bar.
[He was inches away from the gunfire at the Logan House as the Halloween Loop ended]
There, they saw several security guards holding down the man who had fired the shots, court documents said. Police arrested Vega and recovered the handgun as well as two spent casings and a live bullet from the business' patio, court documents said.
In a video posted on Facebook, someone can be heard yelling, "He's got a gun right here," before Vega is tackled. The security guards and/or bouncers at the Logan House are praised for reacting so quickly. An Instagram video shows police retrieving the gun.
Security footage from the bar clearly shows Vega pulling a concealed handgun from his waistband, pointing the gun toward his right side and firing it "in a reckless manner without concern of patrons who are feet away from him," the court documents said.
Bar patrons scattered, court documents said, but police were able to use security footage to find a witness who was standing directly in front of Vega when the shots were fired.
Vega, who had minor injuries and "appeared to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs," was transported to Wilmington Hospital, court documents said.
Someone had attempted to remove the serial number from the handgun, but police were able to trace it to Chester County, Pennsylvania, where it had been reported stolen, court documents said.
They also ran a background check on Vega, who has prior felony convictions for second-degree assault and possession of a firearm. He is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Nov. 7.
On Sunday, Vega was charged with possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a person prohibited, possession of a weapon with an obliterated serial number, carrying a concealed deadly weapon, reckless endangering first degree, receiving a stolen firearm and possession of a firearm while under the influence.
Sgt. Stephanie Castellani, spokeswoman for Wilmington Police, said officers were patrolling the loop all night long because the department knows there tend to be disturbances during the event. The Halloween Loop has been going on for almost 40 years now and the department is prepared for anything, she said.
Castellani recalled one incident during the annual St. Paddy's Loop, which like the Halloween Loop is organized by Out & About Magazine. Several bouncers were maced she said.
"Are there issues during the annual loop?" she said. "Absolutely."
But she also said there were only six arrests made in Wilmington while the loop was going on, and that only the gun arrest was directly related to the event.
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Contact Jessica Bies at (302) 324-2881 or jbies@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @jessicajbies.