Wounded security guard shoots, kills 2 outside Riverside nightclub during gun battle

A gunfight erupted early Monday outside a Riverside nightclub, leaving two people dead and one injured, authorities said.

After a man had been ejected from the El Calentano nightclub in the 10300 block of Arlington Avenue, he retreated to the parking lot with a woman and grabbed a firearm from inside a vehicle, police said. He and the woman then drove to the front of the nightclub, where he shot a security guard several times, according to police reports.

The security guard, who was shot in his lower extremities, returned fire, striking both of the vehicle’s occupants, police said. During the gun battle, the car jolted across the street and crashed into a building just after midnight, authorities said.

“When officers arrived, they found one of the security guards suffering from at least two gunshot wounds, and a man and a woman deceased on the scene,” Riverside Police Officer Ryan Railsback said.

“A gun was recovered at the scene,” Railsback said.

The security guard was transported to a hospital in stable condition. He is expected to survive, authorities said.

There were several witnesses and a video of the shooting, according to police.

Arlington Avenue remains closed between Tyler Street and Jones Avenue as police investigate. The Riverside County district attorney’s office and the Sheriff’s Coroner’s Office will assist in the investigation.

“Detectives will be out there for a few more hours,” Railsback said about 7:30 a.m. Monday.