Surveillance video shows fatal shooting of San Jose security guard

David Louie Image
ByDavid Louie KGO logo
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Surveillance video shows fatal shooting of SJ security guard
ABC7 News has obtained surveillance video of shooting of a San Jose security guard slain during the robbery of a liquor store.

EAST SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- A San Jose nightclub that lost its liquor license last year, also lost its security guards when they quit following the killing of a colleague.

There was tension in the air Tuesday at the scene of the shooting, as another vigil appears to be forming to remember Manny Zuniga.

Zuniga was shot and killed Saturday outside Liquor 4 Less after one man stole flavored cigars from the counter. ABC7 News has obtained surveillance video of the shooting.

The footage shows a group of men walking into the store and it appears they are casing out it out. They then dance to some music they can hear coming from the parking lot.

One of the men buys a bottle of Cognac, and they all leave. A minute later, one man re-enters and swipes a display box of Swishers from the counter. He trips and falls as he runs off. Zuniga is shot and killed as he tries to help pick up the spilled cigars.

No one, including his friends, can understand why Zuniga was shot for a few dollars worth of Swishers.

"We have to do something about this escalation of the violence that we have right now," Zuniga's friend Edgar Altamirano said.

Zuniga and eight others worked as security guards directly for BBOSS, the restaurant and night club next door to the liquor store. They all walked off the job Monday night as they mourned the death of their co-worker. An independent source said the club's owner made insulting remarks that angered them.

That leaves doubts as to whether security guards will be on duty Tuesday. That concerns the liquor store manager, who considered many of them his friends, even though he did not employ them.

"If they don't work tonight, I don't know what's going on," said Sonny Gia, manager of Liquor 4 Less. "I protect myself."

Bboss, under the same ownership, has been the focus of an investigation by California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

Bboss' license was suspended for 30 days in April of 2014 after investigators discovered employees were performing lewd acts, were allowing minors to consumer alcohol and allowing after-hours drinking.

A memorial is growing for a security guard shot Saturday night in San Jose.

The Zuniga family is expected to visit the parking lot memorial. Friends and strangers have been making cash contributions to help pay for funeral expenses. There is also a gofundme website, which has collected over $4,000. Services are pending.