Two Shot During Brawl in St. Pete Steakhouse Parking Lot

Two people were shot during a brawl that broke out in the parking lot of a Japanese steakhouse Wednesday night, St. Petersburg Police said.

An 18-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man were both hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries and later released following the late night incident at Hiro's Tokyo Steakhouse, 5250 4th St. N., according to authorities.

Witnesses say a group of people arrived at the restaurant intending to brawl with another group in the parking lot. At some point before a fight broke out, at least one man, and possibly another, pulled out a handgun and began indiscriminately firing into the crowd, police said in a media release.

"It's not clear at this point what prompted the animosity between the two groups, but according to witnesses it initial (sic) stemmed from a fight at the restaurant the previous night involving either restaurant staff or their associates," police spokesperson Mike Puetz said.

Officers arrived around midnight as the crowd was beginning to disperse. The female gunshot victim had already been taken to Bayfront Medical Center by friends, while the male victim was found at a nearby Exxon gas station awaiting emergency personnel. Police withheld their identities.

Another man, 18-year-old Aron T. Headley, was taken into custody after allegedly damaging two vehicles with a baseball bat. Headley was charged with two counts of felony criminal mischief.

Shell casings were found at the scene, police said.

Detectives are still investigating and trying to identify the suspects.

"At this point it has not been determined whether either group has any gang affiliations or not," Puetz said.