# Gunman opens fire, three dead, at Foxy Lady strip club



## kwflatbed

By Jack Spillane and Rob Margetta, 
SouthCoastToday.com



NEW BEDFORD -- A frightened cab driver said a lone gunman engaged in a firefight with police outside The Foxy Lady early this morning just after two women who work at the strip club told him the man had shot several individuals inside the club.
Three people, including the gunman, are dead and two police officers are injured following the shootout.
The dead, according to club owner Tom Tsoumas, are Tori Mirandos, 30, the general manager of the Foxy Lady clubs in both New Bedford and Fall River; Bobby Carreira, the Foxy's floor manager in New Bedford; and Scott Medeiros, the alleged gunman.
Mr. Medeiros is believed to be from Freetown. 
Nick Santiago, a Yellow Cab driver, said that when he pulled up to the Popes Island club just after 2 a.m to look for a closing-time fare, he saw a puzzling scene at the front door.
"The two girls were pulling out a body out of the door," he said. "I was driving by, and I drove slowly, and I asked them what was going on."
That's when the gunman -- who was dressed in military-type gear with a bush hat -- addressed him.
"I advise you to move the f--- out of here." Mr. Santiago said the man told him. "He said 'If not I'm going to get killed.'"
"I told him, 'Yeah, I'm going to move!'"
He said the gunman let him and the two women who work at the club go but he aimed his fire at police who pulled up to the scene just after 2 a.m.
"As the cops were pulling in, the guy that was at the door -- he was shooting, and it was one right after the other, and so the girls, panicked, they ran from him -- they had time to run -- and they ran in my cab and I took them out of there."
One of the women was a waitress at the club, the other was her friend, Mr. Santiago said.
Jessica Blair, the waitress, said the shooter came into the club's kitchen entrance wearing full body armour and a ski mask. He was carrying a M-16.
He told the girls he was there for the men, not the women. He herded the girls into a dressing room and eventually allowed them to leave.
"He just said 'This isn't a joke,'" Ms. Blair said. "We all thought it was a joke. We didn't think the gun was real.'"
Mr. Tsoumas said Mr. Medeiros had been involved with a female bartender at the club. The relationship ended badly, he said, and two weeks ago, Mr. Medeiros was told to leave the club. 
Mr. Santiago said the two women he took away from the club told him the alleged assailant was a regular customer.
The scene when the police arrived was chaotic, he said.
"No matter what he kept on shooting and it was an M-16, a semi-automatic," he said.
"There were like 10 to 15 shots at the time."
Mr. Santiago said the shooter looked like he was dressed for combat.
"He had a black suit on. He had a bullet-proof vest. He looked like a soldier," he said.
The man who had been dragged out the front door "looked really bad. His eyes were twitching over," he said. 
"What I saw was a tragedy here. I got scared myself. I was thinking of my kids because I thought I was going to get shot." He has only worked as a cab driver for about a month, Mr. Santiago said.
The standoff evidently began shortly before 2 at the establishment near the New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge when several 911 calls were made to police about a heavily armed gunman at the establishment.
Police said about a dozen patrons were in the strip club when the incident, a possible domestic, began.
Police confirmed that one of the weapons was a M-16 rifle but would not confirm reports that gunman eventually turned the gun on himself.
When asked whether the shooter died from a self-inflicted wound or was fatally shot by officers, police said they would not comment. 
Department Spokesman Capt. Richard Spirlet said for now he is not releasing the name of the shooter or any of those who were killed or wounded.
"Right now, we're not releasing the names of the victims," Capt. Spirlet said.
The alleged assailant was wearing camouflage, had several other weapons, police said. There was a report of a bag left outside the establishment and the State Police bomb unit is checking on it.
One officer was shot in the face, the other in the torso, Capt. Spirlet said. He said the officers drove themselves to St. Luke's Hospital and both are expected to live.
The two injured police officers were on detail inside the strip club. 
The captain said he arrived at the scene as the incident was still unfolding. 
"I drove a cruiser up and put an injured guy in the back of my car," he said. "He was shot through both legs."
At one point, he said, he jumped into a cruiser that was riddled with bullet holes, with four blown tires, and drove to a position where it was shielding the fleeing shooting victims from their assailant.
"I took the disabled vehicle and ran it down, so it would block the shooter," he said.
New Bedford Mayor Scott W. Lang told WBSM "it was a very tragic night."
"This person obviously was not in his right mind. It was a domestic relationship type of dispute that came to a head. It was a targeted, premeditated act."
The mayor said the shooter was not from New Bedford. The type of weapon used was one "designed for military combat" and that the shots "ripped through" police cars, he said.
He praised the performance of police who "responded heroically" as well as the emergency personnel who responded.
"It makes me feel very, very well served," he said. 
The captain said the police have a mobile command center set up at the Foxy Lady and are still investigating the scene.
One of the two fatalities were shot near the Foxy Lady's door, while the other was struck inside the club, Capt. Spirlet said. The third dead - the shooter - was shot on the sidewalk, he said.
As of this morning, at least one body was still lying outside the front door.
"Several police cruisers were fired upon when we drove up. We were dodging bullets," Capt. Spirlet told WJAR Channel 10 news. "There was an exchange of gunfire with police," he confirmed.
Several patrons, who were shot, were also taken to the hospital, one later transferred to a Boston hospital.
The Emergency Room at St. Luke's is under lockdown while police gather evidence. However emergency vehicles and patients will be allowed in for treatment. 
State police helicopters and K-9 units were called to the scene and the helicopter hovered over the area for more than an hour.








Audio clip: Reporters interview witness Nick Santiago, cab driver

STANDARD-TIMES PHOTO BY PETER PEREIRA

Contact Jack Spillane at [email protected]
Contact Rob Margetta at [email protected]
Standard-Times staffer Carol Costa-Crowell contributed to this report.

*9:27 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2006*​
New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge closed to traffic
The New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge will be closed to traffic for at least four to five hours as police investigate the shooting at the Foxy Lady strip club on Popes Island.
St. Luke's takes precautions
St. Luke's Hospital went into a temporary lockdown mode in response to the shootings at Foxy Lady. 
Visitors were restricted. Hospital security closely monitored people leaving and entering the hospital.
The hospital also went on ambulance diversion. Ambulances transporting non-critical patients were told to take them to Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River and Tobey Hospital in Wareham.
Two patients were admitted to St. Luke's. 
One was transferred to another hospital in Rhode Island, hospital spokeswoman Joyce Brennan said.


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## kwflatbed

Audio clip: Photographer Peter Pereira describes the scene this morning


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## sherifflittle

damn, my best friend use to be the manager there a few years ago..thank god he's not there anymore


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## kwflatbed

*Gunman opens fire at Foxy Lady strip club; three dead*

*By Jack Spillane and Rob Margetta, SouthCoastToday.com*








Video clip: N.B. Police Capt. Richard Spirlet

NEW BEDFORD -- A gunman sprayed the Foxy Lady strip club on Popes Island with bullets from an M-16-style rifle early this morning, killing two club employees and injuring two New Bedford police officers.
The gunman was also killed during the shootout, although it was unclear whether he killed himself or was gunned down by police.
Police said they believe the shooting was the result of a domestic dispute.
Foxy Lady owner Tom Tsoumas identified the gunman as Scott C. Medeiros of Freetown. He said Mr. Medeiros, 35, had been in a relationship with a female bartender that ended badly. Mr. Medeiros was turned away from the club by one of his victims, floor manager Robert Carreiro of New Bedford, two weeks ago. 
Mr. Carreiro, 33, and Tori Mirandos, 30, general manager of the Foxy Lady clubs in both New Bedford and Providence, were both killed, according to Mr. Tsoumas.
At least two other people were believed to be injured.
One of the police officers has been identified as Joshua Fernandes, who was shot in the mouth and had the bullet exit from his eye. According to police, he will lose his sight in that eye. He was taken to Rhode Island Hospital. 
The second police officer is Steve Wardman, who was shot in the arm and hip. He was taken to St. Luke's Hospital.
Jessica Blair, a waitress who was working at the time of the shooting said Mr. Medeiros entered the club holding an M-16-style rifle and "said he wasn't there for the girls, he was there for the guys, then he just started spraying."
She said he came into the club's kitchen entrance wearing body armor and a ski mask. He herded the girls into a dressing room and eventually allowed them to leave.
"He just said 'This isn't a joke,'" Ms. Blair said. "We all thought it was a joke. We didn't think the gun was real.'"
A frightened cab driver said he saw the gunman engaged in a firefight with police outside the club.
Nick Santiago, a Yellow Cab driver, said that when he pulled up to the Popes Island club just after 2 a.m to look for a closing-time fare, he saw a puzzling scene at the front door.
"The two girls were pulling out a body out of the door," he said. "I was driving by, and I drove slowly, and I asked them what was going on."
That's when the gunman -- who was dressed in military-type gear with a bush hat -- addressed him.
"I advise you to move the f--- out of here." Mr. Santiago said the man told him. "He said 'If not I'm going to get killed.'"
"I told him, 'Yeah, I'm going to move!'"
He said the gunman let him and the two women who work at the club go but he aimed his fire at police, who pulled up to the scene just after 2 a.m.
"As the cops were pulling in, the guy that was at the door -- he was shooting, and it was one right after the other, and so the girls, panicked, they ran from him -- they had time to run -- and they ran in my cab and I took them out of there."
One of the women was a waitress at the club, the other was her friend, Mr. Santiago said.
Mr. Santiago said the two women he took away from the club told him the alleged assailant was a regular customer.
The scene when the police arrived was chaotic, he said.
"No matter what he kept on shooting and it was an M-16, a semi-automatic," he said.
"There were like 10 to 15 shots at the time."
Mr. Santiago said the shooter looked like he was dressed for combat.
"He had a black suit on. He had a bullet-proof vest. He looked like a soldier," he said.
The man who had been dragged out the front door "looked really bad. His eyes were twitching over," he said. 
"What I saw was a tragedy here. I got scared myself. I was thinking of my kids because I thought I was going to get shot." He has only worked as a cab driver for about a month, Mr. Santiago said.
The standoff evidently began shortly before 2 at the establishment near the New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge when several 911 calls were made to police about a heavily armed gunman at the establishment.
Police said about a dozen patrons were in the strip club when the incident began.
Police confirmed that one of the weapons was a M-16 rifle.
Department spokesman Capt. Richard Spirlet said that, at one point, a special reaction and SWAT team stormed the building.
Mr. Medeiros is believed to have died of a self-inflicted wound after that. 
Capt. Spirlet said he couldn't confirm that Mr. Medeiros killed himself, but he was "99 percent" it was self-inflicted.
The alleged assailant was wearing camouflage and had several other weapons, police said. There was a report of a bag left outside the establishment and the state police bomb unit is checking on it.
Capt. Spirlet said the injured officers drove themselves to St. Luke's Hospital and both are expected to survive.
"How close can you get besides being shot in the face and surviving," Capt. Spirlet said. "We're very fortunate. This could have been a lot worse situation."
Mayor Scott W. Lang said he spoke with both officers at St. Luke's Hospital.
"They were very, very concerned about their fellow officers, they were concerned about the scene," he said. "They were not concerned about themselves."
The captain said he arrived at the scene as the incident was still unfolding. 
"I drove a cruiser up and put an injured guy in the back of my car," he said. "He was shot through both legs."
At one point, he said, he jumped into a cruiser that was riddled with bullet holes, with four blown tires, and drove to a position where it was shielding the fleeing shooting victims from their assailant.
"I took the disabled vehicle and ran it down, so it would block the shooter," he said.
Police said that, at one point, Mr. Medeiros called 911 and spoke with a dispatcher, who was a former policeman and knew how to speak with an agitated suspect. Capt. Spirlet said the intermittent phone contact lasted for about a half-hour.
Capt. Spirlet said police were only able to enter the Foxy Lady between 4:30 and 5 a.m. They found Mr. Medeiros dead in the south side of the building. Mr. Carreiro's body was found at the club's main entrance, on the west side of the building facing the parking lot. Mr. Marandos' body was found on the sidewalk in front of the club next to Route 6.
The captain said the police have a mobile command center set up at the Foxy Lady and are still investigating the scene.
The Emergency Room at St. Luke's is under lockdown while police gather evidence. However emergency vehicles and patients will be allowed in for treatment. 
State police helicopters and K-9 units were called to the scene and the helicopter hovered over the area for more than an hour.
Mayor Lang said he was awakened by the sound of gunshots shortly after 2 a.m. last night, and phoned police Chief Ronald Teachman to ask him "what the hell was going on" and drove to the scene.
"They were like cannon shots," Mayor Lang said. "Those rifle shots resonated as a cannon across the city."
Mayor Lang expressed disbelief at how Mr. Medeiros was able to obtain such firepower.
"It doesn't make any damn sense," he said. "That's firepower that it's questionable even our SWAT team has."
Mayor Lang blamed a society desensitized to violence on yesterday's deadly rampage.
"The violence and chaos that he carried here is something we can't tolerate in this city," he said. "We got to wake up as a country on this stuff. This is not only New Bedford."

*Injured officers involved in high-profile arrest*
*By Brian Fraga, SouthCoastToday.com*

The two New Bedford police officers injured in this morning's shooting at the Foxy Lady were involved in a high-profile arrest earlier this year.
Officer Joshua Fernandes, a New Bedford police officer for four years, and Officer Steven Wadman, a rookie, chased down murder suspect David "Crunchy" DePina, who was armed with a semi-automatic weapon.

Click to read the initial story on that arrest

Click here to read a follow-up story on that arrest

*Police search alleged gunman's home*

FREETOWN -- State police began a search of the alleged gunman Scott C. Medeiros' home this morning.
Outside the home at 176 Middleboro Road, East Freetown, state police detectives in charge of the scene were referring all comment to the Bristol County District Attorney's office.
However, at the scene, a small, white, single story home, state police could be seen going through the house, as well as a storage shed in the back of the yard.
Sources said they had called in a computer specialist and a safe cracker.
Freetown police and the Fire Department were also on hand.
According to Freetown Police Chief Carlton E. Abbott, Jr. Mr. Medeiros had a minor record.
"He has a record of minor traffic violations. Other than that, he was not on the radar screen at all," the chief said. "The people I've spoken to have said he seemed like a normal, nice guy."
The chief added that Mr. Medeiros has had a license to carry a firearm since 1991.

*St. Luke's takes precautions*

St. Luke's Hospital went into a temporary lockdown mode in response to the shootings at Foxy Lady. 
Visitors were restricted. Hospital security closely monitored people leaving and entering the hospital.
The hospital also went on ambulance diversion. Ambulances transporting non-critical patients were told to take them to Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River and Tobey Hospital in Wareham.
Two patients were admitted to St. Luke's. 
One was transferred to another hospital in Rhode Island, hospital spokeswoman Joyce Brennan said.


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## grunt02

that atricle is wrong about one thing. the two cops werent working a detail in the strip club, they were on a mobile patrol and got called in they were the first responders there.


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## Andy0921

I I think I have been up there before is there a Honey Dew right down the street? And not far from a Holiday inn express?


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## 94c

andy0921 said:


> I I think I have been up there before is there a Honey Dew right down the street? And not far from a Holiday inn express?


why does it not surprise anyone that you would know the place?


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## Andy0921

94c said:


> why does it not surprise anyone that you would know the place?


lmao...Well I live in CT


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## Buford T

Outstanding work by N.B.P.D., outgunned and all, speedy recovery to both involved.


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## kwflatbed

To many articles to add,link to newspaper:

http://www.s-t.com/


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## 94c

earlier this year these two guys came across a shooting in progress and chased down the suspect who tossed a loaded gun used in the murder.


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## kwflatbed

More on the shootings
Out for blood 

'He will stay in my heart forever' 

Riddled cruisers tell the tale of vicious firefight 

Chief praises police efforts 

*911 Calls From Strip Club Shooting Released*

*Gunman Shoots Self In Standoff *

*NEW BEDFORD, Mass. -- *A gunman who stormed a strip club and killed two people told a police dispatcher "I had a little issue I took care of" before apparently turning the gun on himself, according to tapes of a 911 call released Thursday.

Investigators believe Scott Medeiros, 35, of Freetown, had already killed the father of his ex-girlfriend's child and another strip club employee when he dialed 911 early Tuesday morning. He wounded at least three other people, including two police officers.

"I had a little issue I took care of," Medeiros told dispatcher Ronald Pacheco during a three-minute call. His next few words were muffled, then he said: "And now I'm going to end it."

Police believe Medeiros had a grudge against club security guard Robert Carreiro, 33, of New Bedford, who had fathered the child of Medeiros' ex-girlfriend, who until recently was a bartender at the club. Medeiros killed Carreiro and club manager Tory Marandos, 30, of Nashua, N.H. Both men had ordered Medeiros to stay away from the club after his relationship with the bartender soured, the club owner said.

Medeiros stormed the club around 2 a.m., evading security. He later called 911 after a violent confrontation with officers outside the club during which at least 100 shots were fired. Three cruisers were riddled with bullets.

During the brief conversation with police, Medeiros told the dispatcher he wanted to "decorate the club a little bit," then apparently opened fire with a gun, although it isn't clear if he was shooting at anyone.

"No man, no. Hey! Hey!" Pacheco shouted, pleading with Medeiros to stop.

Asked why he attacked the club, Medeiros used an expletive to say someone had angered him.

When Pacheco urged him not to kill himself, the gunman seemed to despair. He said there was no point in surrendering.

"For what?" he asked. "(Expletive) spend the rest of life in jail, if I'm lucky?"

Medeiros ended the conversation by saying, "It's over. Goodbye."

Then, the sound of what police suspect was a gunshot.

A heavily armed police team stormed the club hours later and found Medeiros dead of what authorities say was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police had waited to enter the club for fear Medeiros had set a trap.

Recordings of police radio transmissions show a chaotic scene as officers arriving at the strip club encountered a well-prepared gunman armed with an assault rifle resembling the M-16 military rifle.

"He could have taken the lives of dozens and dozens of people, half my police force," Police Chief Ronald Teachman said.

*Previous Stories:* 
December 13, 2006: Police Cruisers Sliced In Deadly Shooting Rampage 
December 13, 2006: Friends, Relatives Mourn Club Shooting Victims 
December 12, 2006: 3 Killed, 4 Hurt In Strip Club Shooting 
December 12, 2006: New Bedford Shooter Owned Assault Weapons Legally

_Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed._

​Tapes Released
Police Dispatch Tapes (mp3) 
911 Call From Shooter (mp3) 
*REPORT:* Shooter Owned Weapons Legally 
*IMAGES:* New Bedford Shooting Slideshow


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## kwflatbed

Bump


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