Man Convicted of Inducing Panic

A 23-year-old Zanesville man who brought a gun into the Lazy River Lounge the night of a shooting in August was convicted of inducing panic and illegal possession of a firearm in a liquor permit premise Thursday afternoon.

Elijah Striblin pleaded no contest to the charges.

According to detectives, friends of Striblin’s admitted that the defendant entered the bar with a handgun in his waistband. Video evidence obtained from the bar showed Striblin purchasing and consuming alcohol.

Around 2 a.m., a gang member from Columbus, as confirmed by the Columbus Police Department, and Striblin became involved in a physical altercation in the bar’s bathroom. The Columbus man was shot in the neck but survived.

The Columbus man refused to cooperate with law enforcement, resulting in a material witness warrant being issued for his arrest.

A material witness warrant occurs when a necessary party in a court case refuses to appear to testify. After being arrested, such a person can be released on bond with the requirement to appear or can be held in jail until trial.

The front camera of the bar captured Striblin with the handgun still in his hand as he left the scene.

Muskingum County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney John Litle said that Striblin will be appealing, arguing he has a right to carry a firearm in a bar pursuant to the second amendment.