Deputies credit armed employee with stopping potential mass shooting at bar

NEWNAN, Ga. (FOX 5 Atlanta) - Deputies in Coweta County say an armed off-duty employee may have stopped a mass shooting at a crowded bar in Newnan Saturday morning.

FOX 5 News has the exclusive surveillance video of the shooting outside Fat Boys Bar and Grill on Highway 16. Deputies say that video shows Kevintez Mathewis on his way into the bar with a handgun when Ben McCoy confronts him and is shot multiple times. He drew the gunman's attention and then drew his fire.

Deputies say the security footage also shows Mathewis being ejected from the bar and earlier when security there had confronted him numerous times about his behavior Saturday morning.

Mathewis is seen on video repeatedly trying to get back into the bar and repeatedly security turning him away. Deputies say McCoy became concerned by Mathewis' warnings that he was going to return and shoot up the bar. They say this video shows McCoy placing a small-caliber rifle in from the back of his SUV into the back seat.

It appears that McCoy shouts to him and Mathewis is then seen opening fire.

Another camera angle shows Mathewis pursuing McCoy and firing continuously with his handgun even after McCoy is down.  Deputies say he then grabs McCoy's rifle and runs away.

Deputies say Kevintez Mathewis is 27-years-old. He was later tracked down by police K-9 and arrested. Deputies have charged him with aggravated assault.

Ben McCoy was shot four to six times. They are not exactly sure of the exact number. He has undergone surgery at Atlanta Medical Center.

And deputies credit McCoy with stopping what could have been a mass shooting inside the bar.