One man is dead and another is hospitalized after being stabbed outside the Mineshaft bar in Long Beach late Friday night, according to authorities.
Police said the men were attacked during an argument at around 11:45 p.m. It appears the two victims were trying to get a man to move along from the front of the bar at 1720 E. Broadway when he attacked, according to Long Beach Police Department spokesperson Richard Mejia.
The attacker fled before police could arrive, and officers aided the two victims until fire personnel got there and transported them both to a local hospital, where one of them later died, according to the LBPD. Police identified him as Christopher Finley, a 28-year-old Long Beach resident.
The Mineshaft is a well-known LGBTQ bar, but police said they so far have no indication the attack was a hate crime. The motive, however, remains under investigation, police said.
In a statement posted on the bar’s Facebook page the Mineshaft’s owners, Jeff and Rhonda Darling, said they were “deeply saddened by this senseless violence.”
“My heart goes out to the love ones of the person that lost his life and the family and friends of the person still hospitalized,” the statement continued. “Love will bring our neighborhood together and not let violence win.”
A detailed description of the attacker wasn’t immediately available.
Long Beach police asked anyone with information to contact detectives Michael Hubbard or Jesus Espinoza at 562-570-7244. Anonymous tips may be submitted through Crime Stoppers by calling 800-222-TIPS or visiting lacrimestoppers.org.
Editor’s note: This story was updated with the information that one of the victims had died, the deceased victim’s name and the statement from the Mineshaft’s owners. It’s also been updated to correct the time of the attack, which police originally said happened early Saturday morning.