Sheriff wants nightclub closed after ‘horrific’ explosion of gunfire in South Carolina

Two people are dead and eight others hospitalized with gunshot wounds after a series of shootings around 2 a.m. Sunday at a nightclub in Greenville, South Carolina, reports TV station WYFF.

It happened at the Lavish Lounge and investigators with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office told the Greenville News it was “probably gang related.”

The Lavish Lounge is at 1701 White Horse Road, south of Greenville, which is in the Upstate.

Investigators announced in a July 7 update that Jarquez Kezavion Cooper has been arrested as a suspect in the case and charged with two counts of murder, seven counts of attempted murder, and one count of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.

Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis referred to the incident as a “horrific situation” in an afternoon press conference posted on Facebook by WLOS.

“This club shouldn’t have been open. They should not have been operating today and certainly should not have brought guns into the club. ...You mix alcohol and guns, it’s just a deadly combination,” he said at the press conference.

Lewis said at the press conference that the club had security on site and video shows patrons were patted down. However, it is suspected that guns were brought in “through a back door, for lack of a better term,” he said at the press conference.

Lewis said efforts are being made to revoke the nightclub’s license to operate.

Investigators said some of the people involved have known gang ties, and the nightclub has a history of disturbance calls, including shootings and fights, according to a interview broadcast earlier in the day by Fox Carolina.

The club had advertised a show by rapper Foogiano, according to a Facebook post that was later removed by the club. Admission was free to anyone who arrived before 10 p.m., according to a Facebook post.

“I can tell you, it was not the artist who was performing that fired a shot,” Lewis said at the press conference. “I do know that for a fact.”

Deputies were driving past the club when they saw “a number of people coming out” at once and assumed there was a fight inside, according to on-scene interviews broadcast by Fox Carolina. The deputies stopped, then heard gunfire and entered the club, where they found multiple wounded patrons, officials said in the interview.

Investigators say there are multiple stories from witnesses as to what started the shooting, according to the on-scene interview. They also noted there are “a lot of rounds that are spent” in the club, according to the interview.

The club hasn’t commented on the shootings, but briefly posted the following note early Sunday on Facebook: “Due to the outcome of tonight’s event, all future events have been postponed until further notice. We will update you as time progresses.”

The lounge removed that post two hours later, as well as a post announcing the concert. However, dozens of people had already responded with comments, including some who questioned why the club was hosting a concert during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Investigators said in interviews at the scene that it is believed 200 people were in the club at the time, which may have violated the governor’s executive orders related to the pandemic.

The lounge defended itself in responses to critics on Facebook.

“May 8th the governor announced that bars, clubs and sit down restaurants could legally reopen at half capacity,” Lavish Lounge posted on Facebook.

There was a previous shooting around 4 a.m. Saturday at the nearby Dolce Club, which left a security guard wounded, reported Fox Carolina on Sunday. A suspect, 41-year-old William L. McKinney, was arrested later Saturday in that case, the station reports.

This story was originally published July 5, 2020 at 8:39 AM with the headline "Sheriff wants nightclub closed after ‘horrific’ explosion of gunfire in South Carolina."