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Victim's mother demands answers after fatal shooting in Uptown bar

PITTSBURGH — Police are still investigating after one man was killed and another injured during a shooting at a bar in Uptown Pittsburgh early Sunday morning.

Multiple shots were fired inside Ficklin's Bar at the intersection of Pride Street and Fifth Avenue about 1:30 a.m., police said.

Clayton Brunson, 27, died after being shot in the abdomen. A 25-year-old man, who has not been identified, was shot in the foot.

Brunson’s mother, Tonya Goodnight, is demanding answers and action as authorities continue investigating her son’s death.

“My son got killed there Saturday night, and I’m trying to close this bar now,” Goodnight said. “My heart is gone. God help me. I just don’t want it to happen again.”

On Sunday night, dozens of people, including Brunson’s fiancée and his 4-year-old daughter, gathered at Allegheny Commons where he was well-known for his work with area youth to keep them off the streets.

“Whoever owns this bar, they know I’m coming after them. They have to close,” Goodnight said. “I want some justice with some closure so I can move on with my life.”

Pittsburgh Police Department Public Information Officer Sonya Toler said about 200 people were inside the bar at the time of the shooting. It’s unclear if surveillance video captured the actual shooting.

The area where Ficklin’s Bar is located has seen problems in the past.

“From time to time, bars in that area have had other incidents, so it’s not just Ficklin’s,” said Toler.

A spokesperson for the District Attorney told Channel 11’s Gordon Loesch that the owners of the bar have agreed to shut it down until have a meeting with the liquor control board.

“We can’t simply shut a bar down. We have to have a good deal of evidence that the bar is a threat to public safety that we can present to a judge if necessary,” the spokesperson said.

WPXI

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