A 37-year-old man accused of fatally shooting a Navy veteran at a rooftop bar in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter appeared in court for the first time Tuesday.
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A 37-year-old man accused of fatally shooting a Navy veteran at a rooftop bar in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter appeared in court for the first time Tuesday.
Brian Tyner pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the death of 46-year-old Antwan Bluthenthal, a Navy Veteran and father of a four-month-old baby girl. The shooting occurred Sunday evening at the Cielo Rooftop Lounge on the fifth floor of a building near Sixth Avenue and G Street.
According to San Diego police, Tyner and Bluthenthal were both patrons at the rooftop bar when a fight broke out between the two men. Investigators allege Tyner pulled out a firearm and shot Bluthenthal, who was later found with at least one gunshot wound in a hallway on the building’s third floor.
After the shooting, bystanders reportedly disarmed Tyner and restrained him outside the building until officers arrived. Police arrested him at the scene.
Tyner has a criminal record, including a misdemeanor DUI arrest in 2022, court records show.
Bluthenthal, who had legally changed his last name to Blu, served as a military police officer in the U.S. Navy and worked as a respiratory therapist at the Department of Veterans Affairs. He was also a co-owner of a car detailing business.
Friends and family said he was dedicated to supporting fellow veterans and was planning to meet his wife for dinner in Vista the night he was killed.
“This is a horrific occurrence, and it is inconceivable how much impact this has had on their family,” said Deputy District Attorney Oscar Hagstrom. “They are going through a very difficult time.”
Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the shooting. Prosecutors said that if convicted on all charges, Tyner faces up to 50 years to life in prison.
He remains in custody without bail.
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