The parking lot at the Hard Rock Catoosa Casino and Resort, Oklahoma was the scene of an incident this Saturday. A man, who was later apprehended, brandished a firearm and fired several shots, fortunately not hurting anyone.
Early Saturday morning, around 9:30 am, staff and the visitors of the Hard Rock Catoosa Casino were disturbed by the shots heard from the parking lot. The shooter arrived at the parking lot driving a black Tesla. Per police reports, he didn’t start shooting straight away as he got in front of the casino. The suspect first drove around and got in and out of the car several times. Only then, did he start to shoot from the AR-15 assault rifle, apparently at random around the parking lot. He also fired shots at the nearby golf course, forcing golfers to run and hide. Reportedly, Temple emptied an entire magazine, shooting at least 30 rounds.
Fortunately, he didn’t hit anyone and no one was hurt. The only things the shooter managed to hit were one of the casino signs and one of the vehicles belonging to the establishment. The van that was shot had bullet holes in the frame, windshield, tires, and seats.
The police responded and got to the site immediately after receiving the report of “loud and quick gunshots” at the OKC casino property. They arrested the man and later identified him as David Temple from Arkansas. Temple is a convicted felon and already was stopped by the Arkansas police twice earlier that day. During the search of the vehicle, officers found citations proving that. In addition, he was wanted by the Tulsa Police Department as he has been shooting at random vehicles on the interstate.
Citations were not the only thing police found in his car at the Hard Rock Catoosa Casino. Officers also discovered one more rifle, two loaded guns, and plenty of ammunition. It seems that Temple’s arrest has prevented a more serious and potentially lethal incident. Besides weapons, the shooter also had cash, drugs, and alcohol in his vehicle. This explains the police report which claims that Temple was acting as he was having hallucinations. However, when the law enforcement arrived, Temple willingly surrendered himself.
The Hard Rock Catoosa casino representatives commented on the incident, stating that the most important thing is that everyone is safe. Brandon Scott, Director of Communications for Cherokee Nation Businesses, said that he is glad that no one was injured or threatened. He added that he’s proud of the job the casino’s security staff has done. Catoosa Police Department issued a statement saying that this was an isolated incident and that these types of things normally don’t happen in the area.Remember, watch or listen to our podcast.
The Hard Rock Catoosa Casino shooter, David Temple, is now at the Rogers county jail and is looking at multiple felony charges. These may include shooting with intent to kill (one charge for every person on the golf course), reckless handling of a firearm, and feloniously pointing a firearm.