Knife attack at Richardson bar ends in officer-involved shooting, suspect dies

A late-night knife attack inside Good Vibes Bar & Grill in Richardson left four people hospitalized and ended when two Richardson police officers shot the suspect outside the restaurant in the Richwood Shopping Center.

Police identified the man as 28-year-old Steven Kwembe. Officers responded around 10 p.m. Wednesday to reports that a man was threatening people inside the restaurant in the 2100 block of Buckingham Road. By the time officers arrived, police said, Kwembe was outside with a knife in his hand and there were multiple victims inside. Officers ordered him repeatedly to drop the weapon. When he refused, two officers fired. Kwembe was taken to a hospital, where he later died.

Richardson police released body-camera footage and the suspect’s 911 call after the shooting. In that call, Kwembe allegedly told dispatchers he was heading to the bar to hurt people and said he planned to kill two people he believed had wronged him. The two officers who fired were placed on administrative leave, a standard step after an officer-involved shooting. The Dallas County District Attorney’s Office is conducting an independent review.

The violence immediately hit a busy commercial corridor that includes restaurants, stores and late-night traffic on the Richardson-Dallas line. Good Vibes posted that staff members were shaken by what happened and said the business planned to reopen Friday. WFAA reported that regulars described the bar as a close-knit neighborhood spot, while witnesses said shattered glass and blood were left behind after the attack.

Good Vibes Bar & Grill’s website says the venue offers weekly live entertainment and serves food from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., details that help explain why the shopping center can draw a steady evening crowd. For Richardson residents, the investigation will now center on both the stabbing itself and the police response that followed, as authorities sort through video, witness accounts and the hospital treatment of the four people hurt in the attack.