GREENSBORO, N.C. — The former owner of The Blind Tiger, Brad McCauley spoke out for the first time Wednesday after a shooting that left a 19-year-old dead at the Greensboro music venue in July.
The Blind Tiger's liquor license was revoked in August after the ALE charged a security guard with second-degree murder for shooting Pedro Alegria in the parking lot.
In a video posted to The Blind Tiger's Facebook page, McCauley said he has been with the venue since 2016 and has reviewed relevant surveillance video taken from their 36 cameras.
In that video, McCauley only shared portions of the surveillance video from the night of the shooting.
"We clipped what was needed to show the truth about what had happened," McCauley told WFMY News 2's Grace Holland in an email.
He was unavailable for an interview Wednesday night but said he and former manager Donald Beck will do interviews at another time.
McCauley said he believes crime at the Blind Tiger has been misrepresented by local officials and in an affidavit from the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission.
One security video clip appears to show the moments before the deadly shooting on July 31. A group is ushered out of the music venue.
A family member told WFMY News 2 that 19-year-old Pedro Alegria was celebrating his birthday at the venue that night. His girlfriend told investigators they were kicked out after an argument. Outside in the parking lot, video shows the fighting continues.
As the fight moves back toward the front door of The Blind Tiger, a security guard moves toward the group. A bright flash can be seen when the gun is fired.
A few seconds later as a man involved in the fight is running away, blood can be seen dripping onto a wall outside the venue. Investigators said Alegria died minutes after the shooting.
The security guard investigators believe shot Alegria is charged with second-degree murder.
McCauley said his staff did not know the guard was armed, and they made it clear to the third-party contracted guards that they are not to come to venue armed.
"This was truly an isolated incident where a contracted security guard wasn't thinking and brought a gun into his job without the knowledge of Donald Beck, the general manager," McCauley said.
Alcohol Law Enforcement agents allege Blind Tiger staff didn't help Alegria, blocked police when they arrived and hid evidence.
McCauley addressed some but not all of those allegations.
He shared clips of two men appearing to hide guns inside a desk drawer at different times. He said the first one belonged to a different security guard named Anthony Delaney.
"Delaney went to his car during the altercation and retrieved a firearm, fully aware he's not allowed to have a firearm in the building of the Blind Tiger," McCauley said. "Donald Beck, a general manager, became aware of this and asked him to follow him to the office where he reprimanded him and asked him to place it in a drawer."
Another clip appears to show Delaney storing a second gun a few minutes later. McCauley said this was the gun used in the shooting and Beck didn't know it was placed there.
The ALE report also claims Blind Tiger employees destroyed evidence by washing blood off of an outside wall.
McCauley said the man seen on security video pouring a bottle of water over the bloody wall is a promoter who did not work for him. He also said his staff did not direct the promoter to rinse the wall.
ALE investigators also charged owner Bradford McCauley and manager Donald Beck with failing to superintend and hiring unlicensed armed security. Beck was also charged with allowing violations to occur on the ABC-licensed premises.
In addition, Leonard and another bouncer were charged with providing unlicensed armed security.
The ABC Commission also took away the Blind Tiger's liquor license.
McCauley does not believe the charges against him are warranted. The case is still working its way through the courts.
McCauley recently sold the music venue. The property is set to reopen with new management under the name Hangar 1819.
The new owner said the biggest change will be that the business will be a live music venue only. It will only be open on show days. The ABC Commission granted a liquor license to the new ownership.
The first show is set for November 15.
McCauley released a statement about the closure. It reads in part:
The Blind Tiger, its owners, managers, and staff would like to thank everyone for supporting live music at our venue over the past 34 years. With heavy hearts, we have decided to close our doors and sell to Hangar 1819. This decision did not come easy, as we have tried to maintain our business through this tough time.
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