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Port St. Lucie tattoo shop owner says door vandalized after fundraiser for Pulse shooting victims

Posted at 11:38 PM, Jun 20, 2016
and last updated 2016-06-20 23:39:10-04
Just hours after donating his time to help the families of the Pulse nightclub shooting victims, the owner of Bat Tattz in Port St. Lucie says his shop was vandalized.
 
On Saturday morning, Grant Efinger found his tattoo shop door was blown out. 
 
"I knew it off the rib. I knew it because nothing like this happens," said Efinger. 

Bat Tattz is kind of a hidden gem in Port St. Lucie. There are no signs outside with the shop's name. Efinger opened it on Village Green Drive about six months ago and has never had an issue, till he helped out with a fundraiser for the victims of the Orlando shooting Friday night. 
 

Several customers got  tattoos to show their support. Each tattoo cost 50 dollars. The money is going to help the families of the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting. 

"It shows the ignorance of them because they look at it, they are probably mad because it was like a Gay or Lesbian thing when really, when  you look at it sure the victims were all part of that community, but their families weren't, So you're trying to hate on somebody that's doing something for somebody that needs it," added Efinger. 

Bat Tattz did not have advertisements of the fundraiser outside the shop. The owner believes word of the event may have spread through social media posts from people showing their "Pulse" tattoos.

 

Port St. Lucie Police can't say for sure if the vandalism was a hate crime. Efinger is convinced it was. 

"Thank you, cause you just gave it more popularity, more exposure," said Efinger as he explained what he would say to the person or persons who shattered his shop door.

 
He says he is ready to help out with another fundraiser. On Saturday June 25th there will be another fundraiser to benefit the Orlando victims' families at Beyond Reality Tattoo in Port St. Lucie from noon to 9 p.m.