Witness recalls hookah bar shooting in Colorado Springs

A man who was inside a south Colorado Springs hookah bar, shares what he saw during a shooting early Friday morning.

Eric Eiffler, who said he’s a regular customer at the establishment on South Nevada Street, was at the rear of the bar when the trouble began around 1 a.m.

“All of a sudden I heard two pops,” said Eiffler. “Then the window just shattered. I hit the ground. I got up when I thought it was safe, but I heard more people running in and hit the ground again. Everyone was yelling, screaming and freaking out.”

While three victims were being taken to Memorial Hospital, Eiffler said he and about 40 other customers were confronted by police who didn’t know who or where the shooter was.

“They had guns pointed at everybody,” Eiffler said. “They told us to get out. We had our hands on our heads and they searched us, one by one.”

Police had not determined a suspect or motive as of Friday evening.

Eiffler said police detained the customers for several hours before being released, but some customers had to leave their vehicles behind because they were part of the crime scene.

Eiffler returned for his car around noon Friday. He also checked to see if the bar was open. It was closed.

Eiffler said the shooting won’t scare him away from the bar.

“I still love this place,” he said. “It’s just that people get a little too crazy, and you can’t have certain people around. I’d come back.”