A chemical irritant described by Warfield staff as bear mace was released inside the San Francisco theater early Saturday, Oct. 3, sending people coughing and struggling to breathe into the lobby about 15 minutes before a security guard was fatally shot outside, workers said. Ulysses Tykee Davis, 47, was shot near the Warfield’s entrance around 1 a.m., according to police. The San Francisco Police Department has not released information about a suspect or announced an arrest. Staff said the irritant was sprayed at about 12:45 a.m. during an 18-and-over event featuring the cast of “Baddies USA Chapter 3.” The event had been scheduled to end at midnight. Bartenders described people with red, tearing eyes and others covering their faces and shouting that they could not breathe. Some people jumped over the bar as the crowd rushed out, workers said. A bartender said a security guard pulled an attacker away before a coworker was struck. Workers were still cleaning up when they heard gunshots near the lobby, according to staff accounts. Several employees hid in an office and locked the door. A witness near the box office said he saw one woman take a handgun from another woman, then saw the woman point it in his direction. He ran and heard several shots, later seeing a security guard down near the entrance. Police have not confirmed that account. Davis’s brother-in-law, Terrance Cooper, said Davis had been helping remove a disruptive woman from the theater when she allegedly shot him in the back. Davis’s wife and two of his six children witnessed the shooting, according to Cooper’s account. Friends and coworkers described Davis as a longtime Bayview-Hunters Point resident who was well-liked. “Bear was just doing his job. He was at work, doing security,” said Terrance Silas, a friend who works next door to the theater. Police spokesman Officer Robert Rueca said investigators are examining the events leading up to the shooting, including whether the Warfield had the required permits and was operating within their restrictions. The investigation has not established a connection between the chemical irritant and the shooting.