Chuck E Cheese’s shooting started with gender reveal party fistfight, leads to arrest: ‘Absolutely traumatizing,’ witness says
A man has been charged following a Sunday afternoon shooting inside an Alabama Chuck E Cheese’s during a baby gender reveal party.
Jacques Delawrence Hunter Jr., 23, is charged with first-degree assault and two counts of reckless endangerment.
The Center Point man was booked into the Shelby County Jail Sunday night and is being on $125,000 bond.
Shelby County 911 received a call at 4:50 p.m. reporting a shooting inside the restaurant in Inverness.
Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Clay Hammac said both Shelby County deputies and Hoover police responded to the scene. They arrived to find an adult male with a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
The victim was taken to a Birmingham hospital by Cahaba Valley Fire and Rescue. Authorities said he remains hospitalized in stable condition.
Authorities said the victim and the suspect were acquaintances attending the same family gathering, which was a gender reveal party.
“I am proud of our patrol deputies for their quick response, apprehending the suspect and making the scene safe to render aid,’’ said Sheriff John Samaniego. “In Shelby County we have zero tolerance for violent crime.”
Efforts to reach Chuck E Cheese’s officials for comment on the incident and to obtain their firearm policy were not immediately successful.
A woman posted on Facebook that she was having her daughter’s fifth birthday party at the restaurant when the shooting happened.
“It started with a fist fight between multiple people attending a gender reveal and then one of them pulled a gun out,’’ she wrote. “It was absolutely traumatizing and I am so thankful we got our kids and guests out safely as well as the kids that were in that group within feet of the gunshot.”
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call 205-670-6000 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.