A horrific gun robbery has occurred at a popular LGBTQ+ nightclub in San Francisco.
Surveillance footage showed the robbers, covered from head to toe, using a crowbar to pry open the door and enter the Oasis nightclub on the corner of 11th Avenue and Folsom Street in the South of Market neighborhood.
The incident occurred just after 5am on Thursday morning when three workers were carrying out cleaning work.
“(The robbers) didn’t know our cleaning staff was inside, so when they went in, the people in the building were surprised and confrontational, and that’s when the gun came out,” club owner Darcy Drollinger said.
Drollinger said the gunmen ordered all three employees to the floor and took their wallets and cellphones.
“They basically demanded, ‘Where’s the safe? Where’s the safe?’ (The workers) told them where the office was and they broke down the office door,” Drollinger said.
Drollinger said the footage showed four robbers, who smashed internet equipment to disable the security cameras.
Drollinger said the office was then searched but the safe could not be opened.
He said the robbers were taking it easy while the workers lay on the ground.
“They drank Red Bull and tequila and broke a few bottles. They found our most expensive liquor bottles and stole it all,” Drollinger said.
The robbers were there for about 15 minutes but left without harming any workers, he said.
Drollinger estimated the loss and damages at about $10,000.He also learned that shortly before the Oasis robbery, the group had attempted to break into the nearby SF Eagle Bar, a historic gay leather bar.
Owner Rex Montiel said an alarm system scared off the bad guys, but this was the second attempted break-in in less than a month.
He has called on police to step up patrols in the area.
“I think the city is in a terrible state right now in terms of safety and security,” Montiel said.
Drollinger is San Francisco’s first drag laureate and serves as an ambassador for the LGBTQ community.
He opened Oasia in 2015 to create a safe space, and now it’s one of the most popular venues for drag shows and other live performances.
“We want people to be able to come here and escape reality for a few hours, and we need to protect this space,” Drollinger said.
He is currently working on beefing up security to ensure the Oasis continues to be a safe place.
“When something like this happens, your first thought is, ‘Oh no, it could happen again,'” Drollinger said.
Police are investigating whether the Oasis robbery is linked to the attempted break-in at Eagle Bar.
Both businesses said that while there is no evidence of a hate crime, it is concerning that robberies targeted two LGBTQ+ businesses around the same time.
Drollinger has started an online fundraiser to cover the cost of repairs and replacing items stolen from the sanitation workers, and supporters have donated more than $20,000 so far.
Da Lin
