'Dancing Bear Dances No More': Friend Says Accused Trump National Shooter Used To Be Stripper, Porn Star
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DORAL (CBSMiami) – The man charged with opening fire inside Trump National Doral Friday used to be a stripper, according to a friend of the accused gunman.
The friend told CBS4's Jim DeFede that Jonathan Oddi worked for DancingBear.com, a porn website where men wearing costume bear heads have sex with large groups of women. Oddi told his friend he stopped doing porn six years ago because he was afraid of contracting AIDS. His friend added, "We'll I guess this settles it, the Dancing Bear dances no more."
Oddi, described as a fitness buff, carried an American flag into the lobby of the Trump National Doral and opened fire at a chandelier.
He then waited for police to arrive, and exchanged gunfire with officers who shot him in the legs and arrested him.
The motive for the shooting was not immediately clear, but Miami-Dade Police Director Juan Perez said the man pointed his gun at several people and shouted "anti-Trump" rhetoric before waiting for police to confront him.
"We don't know what his intentions were in the long term, but we know what he was doing at the time — he was trying to engage our police officers in some kind of ambush-type attack," Perez said.
In plotting the ambush, Perez added, "He did succeed, and he did lose."
One responding officer broke a wrist, but no resort employees or guests were hurt.
Oddi, 42, lives about a mile away. He could have walked to the resort from the Cordova Condominium complex, located at 8100 NW 53rd Street.
"He's a very nice person, I'm very surprised he did this," said Luis David Gonzalez, a close friend of Jonathan Oddi who says he frequently works out with Oddi at a local gym.
Friday morning, Gonzalez was bringing Oddi breakfast until he heard Oddi was. He says Oddi never showed any violent tendencies.
"He's an entertainer," said Gonzalez.
Oddi was born in South Africa and grew up in Argentina. He became a U.S. citizen in August.
"We've known each about ten years, eleven years, around there or maybe a little more," said Gonzalez. "He's a good person, he's a very good person. I'm very surprised he did this."
Gonzalez says Oddi lives in the condo with his dog. That condo complex was turned into a crime scene as investigators took over and towed away a Jeep Renegade.
Crime-scene tape marked off a driveway to the community and police cars were parked outside.
Police say they swept his apartment to make sure it wasn't booby-trapped.
Miami-Dade Police Director Juan Perez said, "We were able to make sure the apartment was not booby-trapped and that his vehicle and the apartment was secure." Perez said police also made sure that neighbors were safe and secure as well.
Lina Diaz frequently saw Oddi here and was surprised by the alleged actions of her neighbor.
"Just a normal guy. He is a body builder so he looked big," she said. She went on to say that she never saw or heard him say anything political. "He seemed like a normal guy. He was just my neighbor," she said.
Another neighbor, David Jiminian, said, "I have seen him sometimes by the Jeep and I am really surprised. Everything seemed normal. I can't believe this happened so close to home. I live in this building. This is disturbing."
A check of his records in Miami-Dade and Broward show only minor traffic infractions in Broward in 2010 and 2011. He was cited with driving without a license, no insurance, having improper equipment and speeding. Those citations were resolved and adjudication was withheld.
On social media, Oddi lists himself as a fitness instructor, real-estate investor and manager at Pegasus, a business dealing in minerals and gemstones.
Oddi's attorney, Rae Shearn, said her client was a fitness instructor. She said it was too early to say anything more. "I am conducting my own investigation and have no statement in regards to what occurred or what didn't occur or what may have precipitated that event," she said by phone.
