He was shot outside a Sarasota Waffle House. He’s now in trouble with the law

The man who shot three men outside a Sarasota Waffle House won’t be facing any charges, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. Instead, one of the men shot has been charged with the battery that instigated the shooting.

The shooter acted in self-defense, detectives and prosecutors determined after interviewing all the men involved and reviewing surveillance video shooting of the incident, according to an arrest warrant.

Alan Castillo, 22, was arrested on Friday. Castillo, a server at the Siesta Key Oyster Bar, was released the same day on a $10,000 bond. He was ordered to have no contact with the victims and not to return to the Waffle House.

Sometime before 3 a.m. May 20, two men walked into the Waffle House, 5737 Clark Road, Sarasota, and one of the men was confronted by Castillo, the victims told detectives, according to the warrant.

Castillo had approached the man aggressively, bumped him in his chest with a fist and pushed him. The victim tried to walk away but as he did Castillo punched him.

The victim began fighting back in defense. His friend meanwhile armed himself with a 9 mm handgun.

When Castillo’s friends attempted to chase or grab the second man, the man fired his gun. He later told detectives that he feared his friend was in imminent danger because he was being beat by four men.

The two victims left the Waffle House before deputies arrived because they were “scared and they were outnumbered,” according to the warrant.

Castillo and two of his friends were found with gunshot wounds. All three were taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital and were treated for their non-life threatening injuries.

Detectives and prosecutors later determined that Castillo was the primary aggressor. His three friends claimed they held down the victim “for fear of him having a gun,” according to the warrant.

This story was originally published May 28, 2019 at 3:20 PM.