SPOKANE, Wash. — Police may have uncovered the motive behind a man accused of shooting up a bar in Spokane’s Garland District late Wednesday night.
According to an affidavit of facts filed with the Spokane County Superior Court, Gibson Riklon was sitting at the bar at Rick’s Ringside Pub in Garland District around 10:00 p.m. when a bar employee approached him.
The employee noticed Riklon had a gun in his possession and told him the bar would no longer serve him.
The staffer then told him to put his gun in the car.
According to witness interviews, Riklon made a statement similar to threatening to “shoot up the place,” and left.
Shortly after leaving, Riklon returned through a bar entrance and fired two rounds into the bar, in the general direction of the employee who told him to remove the gun from the bar.
According to court documents, Riklon left, and police were called.
Luckily, no one was hit by the gunfire.
Police said they found a projectile behind the bar, where alcoholic containers were hit.
They also found two spent 9MM shell casings.
Detectives reviewed surveillance footage, and an officer followed footprints in the snow to a pickup truck, where Riklon was found hiding.
According to police, Riklon shouldn’t have been in possession of a gun due to previous felony convictions.
In court Thursday, Commissioner Tony Rugel set Riklon’s bond at $250,000 citing public safety concerns, as well as how dangerous it was for someone to open fire in a bar full of people.
Riklon’s next court date, for arraignment, was scheduled for February 25, 2025 at 9:00 a.m.
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