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Fearing for his life, Acosta made one of his close friends who was nearby when it happened recount the night's incident:

Voice of Friend of Jose Santos Acosta
"Mr. Santos was behind the bar as usual shortly before 10 o' clock and whilst behind the bar 2 male persons of Creole decent walk in the bar. As they approach the bar one of them leap over the bar; the bar is about 4 feet in height and the leap behind the bar and one of them immediately started to wrestle with Mr. Santos. The other fellow who had a firearm fired a shot at Mr. Santos which caught him on his left side of his chest. It did do much damage there, he fire another shot and caught Mr. Santos in his hand, at this time Mr. Santos fearing for his life pull out his license firearm which he has, the bar that was behind the bar tackle him with the gun in his hand and that is when Mr. Santos emptied the firearm into the guy. 4 shots caught the fellow. In the bar at the time was also a police officer who started to fire shots at the other fellow who ran towards the door and went into the night. The other patrons in the bar left obviously scared for their life."

Andrea Polanco
"But the bar had in some patrons, so you believe the motive was robbery?"

Voice of Friend of Jose Santos Acosta
"That's right, he jump behind the bar obviously with the intent to rob the cash register. The other man with the firearm was the backup I guess just waiting to see what will happen. Robbery was definitely the motive in this incident."

The robber on whom Acosta emptied his gun is twenty three year old Shawn Edwards who is under police guard in a critical condition in the KHMH with gunshot wounds to the testicle, navel, left upper back and left shoulder. Twenty three year old Xiomara Lopez, a Guatemalan waitress, also received minor injuries to her shoulder and was admitted in a stable condition.