Edward James Bennis: Crystal River bar employee shot dead as he tried to break up fight, suspect arrested
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
CRYSTAL RIVER, FLORIDA: The Citrus County Sheriff's Office is currently investigating a shooting incident that occurred in the early morning of Friday, February 2, at a well-known Crystal River bar, as reported by Fox 13.
Upon responding to the crime scene, the authorities discovered the victim, Edward James Bennis, 26, to have been fatally shot multiple times by Gabriel Hugh Trainor, 24.
Gabriel Hugh Trainor got into a dispute with another patron before he supposedly shot and killed Edward James Bennis
Deputies reached Norton's Riverside Bar and Grill at approximately 1.25 am on Friday and discovered Bennis in the parking lot with multiple gunshot wounds. Despite lifesaving efforts, the 26-year-old died at the scene.
Witnesses recounted how Trainor engaged in an altercation with another patron inside the bar that escalated to the front patio, leading the victim, an employee at the bar, to intervene and possibly halt the dispute.
Subsequently, the suspect retreated to his car, and after a few minutes, Bennis returned outside, re-engaging in an argument with Trainor, who then apparently proceeded to shoot the employee multiple times.
Sheriff Mike Prendergast, expressing condolences to Bennis' family, deemed the incident a tragic event.
He remarked, "Unfortunately, arguments too often turn violent when alcohol is involved. Trainor not only made the decision to take another man's life but also endangered other citizens with his reckless discharge of a firearm."
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Trainor was standing over Bennis when deputies arrived at the scene. He has been arrested on a second-degree murder charge and is currently held without bond at the Citrus County Detention Facility.
Daughter of Norton's Riverside Bar and Grill's manager remembers Edward James Bennis
Caydience Bond, whose mother is the bar manager at Norton’s, recounted the distressing moment, stating, "I could hear the gunshots through the phone, She called me screaming and crying on the phone saying that Eddie got shot."
He explained that her mother and Bennis were closing the establishment and noted, "Eddie was staying after waiting for my mom to get off, so she wasn’t there by herself."
According to Bond, the victim left through the back door and was shot multiple times. She shared, "I just wish I could tell him to reverse time, to not go outside. It’s very heartbreaking seeing how he lost his life trying to save my mom and other people."
Bond, who had worked with Bennis at Waterfront Social, a nearby restaurant, described him as an extremely hardworking, genuine, and supportive person.
She asserted, "He was always he was always there for other people no matter who it was. It didn't matter if he knew you or not. If you were in the wrong or right, Eddie would still be there just to have your back to make sure nothing happened."
