Woman accused of shooting 4 outside Daytona Beach nightclub claims self-defense
Accused Daytona shooter claims self-defense
A woman accused of shooting four people outside a Daytona Beach nightclub Saturday night faced a judge – and news cameras – Tuesday afternoon. Karla Bermudez, 29, is facing four counts of attempted murder for what transpired in the parking lot outside Razzle's Nightclub.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - A woman accused of shooting four people outside a Daytona Beach nightclub Saturday night faced a judge – and news cameras – Tuesday afternoon.
Karla Bermudez, 29, is facing four counts of attempted murder for what transpired in the parking lot outside Razzle's Nightclub.
"Upon being taken into custody on [Monday], she made an initial unsolicited claim of self-defense," Daytona Beach Police Chief Yakari Young said.
Bermudez's friends and family told FOX 35 over the phone she was trying to defend herself from a group of men and women beating her up.
Cell phone video captured portions of the fight, including the two gunshots police say she fired that injured four people. All four are expected to make a full recovery.
But Young disagrees her actions were in self-defense.
RELATED: Bond denied for woman linked to quadruple shooting in Daytona Beach
"Based on what we observed on the surveillance video, I don't think her self-defense claim will hold up," he said at a press conference.
Detectives arrested Bermudez on Monday afternoon, nearly two days after the shooting.
Police say she ran from the scene and was spotted on surveillance video just down the street from Razzle's near what’s soon to be the department’s newest substation.
"She literally would have walked directly towards that police substation," Young said.
Police chief says more resources needed
In the aftermath of a quadruple shooting, Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young expressed frustrations with the lack of resources available to the department. The suspect, 29-year-old Karla Burmudez appeared in court for the first time on Tuesday, charged with four counts of attempted murder and violation of concealed carry law.
Supply issues have delayed its opening. It's expected to be operational and staffed by Sept. 1.
"If that substation were open, would this have occurred? I'm really pushing to get this substation open, and I know there's more work that needs to be done," Young said.
Daytona Beach City Commissioner Ken Strickland, whose zone represents the Seabreeze corridor, says the new substation and cameras being installed nearby should hopefully deter this type of crime.
"Once people know they're being watched continuously, they'll learn to behave a little better, hopefully," he said. "We can't continue to have that type of behavior go on. We've been working really hard to alleviate that."
The judge Bermudez faced Tuesday denied her bond.