‘Those are gunshots,’ customer recounts gunfire outside Ruth’s Chris Steak House

BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. (WBFF) — Baltimore County Police say they are continuing to investigate a Friday night shooting outside Ruth’s Chris Steak House along Reisterstown Road in Pikesville.

Police say no arrests have been made, and there are still no reported injuries.

Stevenson Resident Angel Mata Jr. was one of the many people dining that night when gunshots rang out.

“We actually had the table that’s right behind the hostess stand. So we’re right near the door. And all of a sudden, you start hearing pop, pop, pop,” said Mata. “Initially somebody said, somebody stole the fireworks? I said, no, those are gunshots.”

Mata says he was with friends, planning to catch up during dinner.

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Baltimore County Police say the shooting happened just before 8 p.m.

“I ventured outside with a few other people. And immediately from the front door, you could see three shell casings,” said Mata.

Investigators say they found shell casings also in the parking lot, along with damage to a vehicle on its windshield.

“It had five bullet holes in the window, had a bullet hole in the grill, one in the bumper, and the left rear tire was blown out,” said Mata. “My concern was getting the party out of there safely….I mean a place like Ruth’s Chris, this is, you know, a high-end restaurant, you don’t expect anything like that to happen.”

Mata adds he hopes whoever chose to commit this violent crime gets caught, calling for stricter punishments.

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“Violence is all over the country,” said Mata. “And it’s not only because of the fact that criminals have easy access to weapons, but it’s also because of what’s happening in our courts.”

Retired Sgt. and National Police Association Spokesperson Betsy Smith says prosecutors need to be more aggressive, arguing it will deter people from choosing violence.

“You can talk all day long about enforcement, which means the police arresting people,” said Smith. “But without prosecutors and especially judges who are willing to put people in prison for gun offenses, more laws are not going to help this in any way, shape or form.”

The circumstances surrounding this incident are under investigation, and police are asking anyone with information about this case to contact 410-887-1279.