Covert Man Is Sought After Firing Shot Into Crowded Lawrence Bar's Ceiling

A man is being sought after firing a shot into the ceiling of a Lawrence bar early Sunday.

According to Van Buren County Sheriff Dale Gribler, at 1 a.m. deputies responded to a report of a shot being fired at the Red Arrow Bar, 106 E. St. Joseph St. in the village of Lawrence. Upon arriving they discovered that a 42-year-old Hispanic man from the Covert area had fired the shot and then fled the scene just prior to their arrival.

Witnesses told deputies that the man was causing trouble in the bar by harassing female customers. A 71-year-old woman from Lawrence then attempted to calm the man down by placing her hands on his arms and speaking with him. The man then asked what she thought she was doing by touching him and pulled what appeared to be a small revolver from his waistband and pointed it at the woman.

Witnesses said another person in the bar then grabbed the man, forcing the handgun to point toward the ceiling, a shot was fired and the bullet entered the ceiling. Witnesses then forced the man out of the bar and said he fled the scene in an unknown direction.

Officers attempted to locate the man and his vehicle and have not yet found either of them. The incident remains under investigation by the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office.