Trustees in a south suburban village said Monday a club needs to close after five people were shot there over the weekend--but the mayor says he's open to giving the business another chance if it increases security measures.
Five people were shot at a club in the village of Dolton early Sunday, according to police. Around 2:45 a.m., officers responded to a call of shots fired at Club One, located in the 14100 block of S. Chicago Rd., according to Dolton Police Chief Robert Collins. [[422198734, C]]
“They’re entitled to a hearing and they’re entitled to due process,” Dolton Mayor Riley Rogers said of the club owners.
Emotions ran high Monday night at a board meeting of village trustees.
"It could have been your children, your nieces, your nephews," said trustee Valeria Stubbs.
The meeting was standing room only.
“None of these trustees have the power to give out a liquor license to Club One, that comes under the purview of the liquor commissioner: Mayor Riley H. Rogers,” said trustee Duane Muhammad.
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Upon arrival, authorities discovered four men had been shot inside the two-level establishment and another outside, just half a block away.
One of the men was shot in the chest, while the others sustained gunshot wounds to the lower extremities, officials said. Four victims were taken to Christ Medical Center and the fifth to MetroSouth Medical Center in Blue Island, according to police.
Four of the men were listed in critical condition, while the fifth victim’s condition was unknown. Further details on their ages and injuries were not immediately available. [[422198564, C]]
Club One is now closed for seven days in accordance with village ordinance.
The village will then have to decide if the club can reopen--or if they will seek to revoke its liquor license.
"Somebody is gonna lose their life if we let this place continue to stay open," said trustee Robert Pierson Jr.
Early reports indicate that an argument broke out on the upper level of the club, authorities said. Security tried to step in to stop the fight, according to police, when gunfire erupted and chaos ensued.
“Shootings inside establishments, it’s hard to control,” Collins said. “It’s hard to control a crowd like that, we can’t necessarily patrol inside that, we’re almost a reactionary force when things happen like this.”
Witnesses described hearing at least 10 to 15 shots ring out, at a time when they said hundreds of people were packed into the 21 and over club. [[422197133, C]]
"It happened so fast," said CJ Spencer, who works at Club One. "It was too much going on, I’m still kind of shaken up."
"Just too much blood, too much emotions," he added. "I’ve never seen this happen."
Authorities said the investigation has led them to believe that the shooting was an isolated incident.
Officers are looking for at least one gunman but have not ruled out the involvement of others.
Police said they were searching for a white sedan that left the scene, when it was located around 6:45 a.m. just a few blocks away with no one inside.
No one is in custody in connection with the shooting, according to police, and detectives were reviewing security footage in the ongoing investigation.
