Man Convicted of First-Degree Murder in 2025 Gaslamp Quarter Shooting

A San Diego jury convicted Brian Tyner, 38, of first-degree murder Wednesday for the August 2025 shooting death of Antwan Bluthenthal inside a Gaslamp Quarter commercial building.

Tyner shot Bluthenthal, 46, on Aug. 3, 2025, during a confrontation on the third floor of 701 Fifth Avenue, a building that at the time housed two bars and a comedy club. According to prosecutors, the two men were strangers who crossed paths in a third-floor hallway.

A prosecution trial brief stated that Tyner and two women had been drinking at one of the bars "for hours" leading up to the shooting. Minutes before the shooting, a witness saw Tyner holding a gun, and surveillance footage showed the two women and another man attempting to calm down an agitated Tyner.

Prosecutors alleged that when Bluthenthal passed Tyner in the hallway, Tyner tapped him on the back. Bluthenthal raised his hand to stop Tyner from advancing, and after a brief physical exchange, Bluthenthal walked away. Tyner then produced a handgun from a cross-body satchel, followed Bluthenthal, and shot him, according to the prosecution's trial brief.

After the shooting, bystanders inside the building disarmed Tyner and restrained him on the sidewalk outside until San Diego Police officers arrived and took him into custody.

Bluthenthal was a Navy veteran, small businessman, and father of a then-4-month-old daughter. "This is a horrific occurrence, and it is inconceivable how much impact this has had on their family," Deputy District Attorney Oscar Hagstrom said following Tyner's arraignment in August 2025.

Tyner pleaded not guilty to murder and a misdemeanor count of carrying a concealed firearm at his arraignment. He had prior criminal history including a misdemeanor DUI arrest in 2022.

A sentencing date has not yet been set. Tyner faces a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.