Police found two men shot in the back and crowds engaged in up to four floating fights outside a downtown nightclub. And that was only some of the mayhem taking place in the club district this weekend.
The shooting took place — surprise — in the courtyard behind Pulse nightclub at 956 Chapel St. across from the Green, right around closing time early Saturday.
The crowd was leaving a hip-hop party at the club.
(Click here, here, here, and here for some past stories about problems at or outside the club.)
Meanwhile, Officer Roy Davis led a team of officers to a club called Exhibit X (formerly known as Center Street Lounge) at 29 Center St. at 12:30 a.m. Sunday. They weren’t there to order drinks. They were there to check IDs. They found eight under-aged patrons there, three of them high school students (Amity), the rest college-aged. Officers inspected the same joint on Sept. 6 and found six under-aged bar-goers there.
Also early Sunday, someone shot a gun around College Street between Crown and George at 2:06 a.m., as bars were letting out. Cops chased the 25-year-old alleged gunman through a parking lot, arrested him and recovered the handgun, police said. No one was reported hit by the gunfire. The incident took place a block from the spot where this mess occurred.
As for what happened with the early Saturday shooting, police spokesman Officer David Hartman issued a release with this description:
“As Officers arrived, many in the crowd scattered. Some ran toward the front of the Omni Hotel, where a second fight broke out. Officers made a few arrests and had just secured two arrestees in the prisoner transport wagon, when, at 2:13 AM, gunfire rang out around the corner at Church and Crown Streets in front of Gateway College.
“Two men were shot. Timothy Charles, 24, of Hamden was shot in his right hand. Kirt Swan, 21, of New Haven, was shot in his upper back. Both men were taken by ambulance to Yale – New Haven Hospital, where they received treatment for their non-life threatening injuries.
“Both victims told Police they had been patrons at Pulse Nightclub.
“Just before the gunfire, an altercation occurred between approximately a dozen people on the south sidewalk of Crown Street between Crown and Temple Streets. Police obtained evidence that both victims were involved in that altercation.
“Detectives are investigating the possibility that a fourth altercation had simultaneously occurred just down the street at Church and Crown Streets. The gunshot wound victims denied any involvement with the altercation that resulted in the gunfire.
“After being shot, both victims ran across the intersection to a group of club security associates working at Empire Nightclub. The security staff was helpful to Police in clearing out a growing crowd of on-lookers as EMTs arrived to render aid to the victims.
“In the immediate wake of the shooting, several peoples who’d fled the area were detained for a brief time as Officers obtained witness’ descriptions of a suspect. All were subsequently released.
“This string of violent incidents, one that left two men wounded by gunfire, is an inexcusable occurrence. Violence to this degree is not typical, but when it occurs in New Haven, it is almost always stems from a venue that had promoted a Hip-Hop event.
“Detectives from the department’s Major Crimes Division, Bureau of Identification and Office of Information Technology ar investigating this case.
“Any one who has information or who was a witness to the shootings or the fights leading up to them, are urged to speak with investigators by calling 203 – 946-6304. Calls may be made anonymously.”
I'd recommend that the government claim imminent domain on the lawn of the owner of the club's home and hold such an event twice a week.