The shootout occurred on January 26th at the “Dream Chattanooga” in downtown Chattanooga according to The New York Post, the gunman identified by police as being a 24-year-old man can be seen on surveillance footage firing on the crowd. The guard seemingly equipped with body armor can then be seen calmly targeting him and returning fire as club patrons seek cover.
The outlet reported that the gunman was taken into custody at a nearby hospital when he presented with non-fatal gunshot wounds police said.
According to Local3News, one of the owners of the club, JaMichael Smith, defended the action of the guard telling reporters that he did what was necessary to protect the club’s customers.NEW: Footage released showing a Tennessee security guard calmly taking down an attempted mass sh**ter in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 12, 2025
A gunman had started firing at a group of people outside of the Dream nightclub when the guard jumped into action.
The man who fired into the crowd… pic.twitter.com/LO4iLoZepC
Joe Reed, the club’s head of security told the Daily Mail that he believes the attack against the club was planned. “You could tell it was plotted,” he said before he praised the guard for a job well done.
“The gun was given to the police department and everything. It was quick action by our licensed security guard who did what he had to do to protect innocent lives.”
He added, “If anyone comes down here with that foolishness, they know now that Dream security has zero tolerance.”
This latest shooting is only the most recent in a spate of violent incidents. Notably, a 22-year-old was injured during a December 2024 gunfight according to WDEF, resulting in a suspension of the club’s alcohol service.
Following the December shooting Reed said the club “upped” its security. He explained, “We upped the amount of security that we had. We have ten security here, we upgraded our metal detectors, we have cameras all over that can catch every angle.”
