Police back at scene of fatal Orlando club shooting

ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando police have made an arrest connected to the deadly shooting Sunday inside a nightclub on Universal Boulevard near the heart of the tourist district.

Jose Brull Lopez, 23, was arrested on Sunday moments after the shooting at Glitz Ultra Lounge, but the arrest documents were released Friday morning.

Brull Lopez has been charged with carrying a concealed firearm and tampering with evidence at the nightclub Sunday morning

Channel 9 found out police and crime scene investigators were back at the club Friday night, but police haven't said why.

The club was surrounded by yellow crime-scene tape.

Raw: Orlando Police Chief discusses Glitz shooting

According to the arrest affidavit, a fight between two groups broke out at the club just before 1 a.m. Sunday, then shots were fired.

Jose Brull Lopez has been charged with carrying a concealed firearm and tampering with evidence at Glitz Ultra Lounge Sunday morning.

Witnesses said they saw Brull Lopez run to the north side of the building, near the back of the nightclub.

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During a news conference Friday afternoon, Chief John Mina said one of the people hospitalized in the shooting also participated in the altercation.

Two other people who were shot were also involved in the altercation. Mina said they have been treated and released.

Mina also clarified that 10 people were shot, not 11, as was previously believed.

When security and two Orlando police officers ran to the back of the club, they said they saw Brull Lopez with a gun and standing next to a man on the ground who had been shot multiple times.

They said they then saw Brull Lopez throw the gun onto the roof of the nightclub.

Brull Lopez was quickly arrested.

During questioning, Brull Lopez said he was not patted down by security or checked with a metal detector wand as he entered Glitz.

He stated he concealed the 9mm handgun with an extended 30-bullet magazine inside his pants in his groin area so it would not be detected by security.

A second magazine was found in his front pants pocket.

Investigators said Brull Lopez denied he ever fired his weapon and lied about the gun being inside the club because he had not obtained the weapon legally.

The victims killed in the shooting were Joseph Villalobos, 22, and Jonathan Avila Rojas, 33.

Newspapers in Puerto Rico reported that Rojas had ties to a drug trafficking organization.

Articles said he was a suspect in seven violent crimes on the island.

Mina said he did not know whether Puerto Rico’s failing economy might be bringing turf wars to Orlando.

“Obviously that is something we need to look at to determine if this is somewhat of an isolated case, or if these individuals have a foothold here,” Mina said.

Police said the men who were killed were on opposite sides of the altercation.

Police said after looking at the surveillance video inside the club, it was still unknown whether Brull Lopez shot or killed anyone inside the club.

Brull Lopez told investigators Villalobos ran to him after the shooting asking for help.

About 300 people were at the club when the shooting happened.

The future of the club remains uncertain.

A letter posted on the club’s door Tuesday said the owner owes Republic Square Property Management more than $82,000 in rent.

The club’s Facebook account has been deactivated, but its website is still active.

Three Orlando police officers were working extra duty at the club early Sunday. According to police, they were outside the club patrolling when the shooting started.

Mina said the officers are usually at or near the front door to assist with security. But Mina said the club's security does the pat downs for weapons.

Rojas had a misdemeanor drug charge dismissed in 2013 and Villalobos had criminal traffic tickets.

Police records show officers were called out to the nightclub 54 times in a year.

The calls include multiple fights and disturbances.

In a press release, police said, “While the club had extensive security measures in place, there was either a lapse in those security measures or staff at the club did not have sufficient training.

The club is closed now; in the event it reopens, we will strongly urge the club owners to incorporate additional security measures. We would suggest the club install metal detectors that every patron has to pass through, increase the number of and retrain its private security, and also increase the number of OPD extra duty officers.”

Cox Media Group