US Marshals arrest rapper,
second suspect on unrelated charges in Alabama, 7/2/17 Fox News
A Memphis rapper was taken into
custody early Sunday in Alabama along with a second suspect on unrelated
charges after a shooting at an Arkansas nightclub that left 28 people injured,
authorities said.
Ricky Hampton, 25, of Memphis,
Tennessee, also known as Finese 2Tymes, was arrested on outstanding warrants
out of Forrest City, Arkansas, police in Little Rock said on Twitter. No
arrests have been made in the shooting at the Power Ultra Lounge in downtown
Little Rock, which police have said they believe stemmed from a dispute in the
crowd and may be gang-related.
Hampton, also know as Finese2Tymes,
along with another suspect was arrested outside of Side Effects Club in
Birmingham, Alabama, FOX 6 News reported.
U.S. Marshals, along with the ATF
and FBI apprehended Hampton and the other male, Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Cliff
LaBarge told Fox News.. Both are currently being held at the Jefferson County
jail. The Marshal Service says the men were arrested on a "fugitive
from justice" warrant.
Twenty-five people between the ages
of 16 and 35 suffered gunshot wounds at the Power Ultra Lounge in downtown
Little Rock at Power Ultra Lounge early Saturday, officials said.
Three others were hurt, perhaps
while fleeing, Little Rock Police Chief Kenton Buckner said. Two people were in
critical condition Saturday afternoon.
Courtney Swanigan, 23, told The
Associated Press that when the gunfire rang out, "I just closed my eyes,
got down on the ground and put my hands on my head."
Frankie Bledsaw told FOX 16 he drove
from Stoddard, Arkansas, to Little Rock with his brother and a few friends for
the concert.
He said he didn’t know what sparked
the dispute, but shortly after the concert began shots rang out.
“Everything was good, that’s why I
don’t understand,” he said. “I mean, crowd was in a good mood. Just senseless
really. Come out to have a good time and this what happens.”
Bledsaw said his first instinct was
to run but as the gunfire continued and the club erupted into chaos, he hit the
ground. “Took about 10 minutes to get up out
of there,” he said, later adding that it was a “blessing” that no one died. He
was able to walk away with a minor bruises and scratches.
Related stories...
City officials said they would move
Monday to shut down the club under a "criminal abatement" program.
State regulators suspended the club's liquor license earlier Saturday.
On Saturday night, a representative
for the landlord's office posted an eviction notice on a door to the club. The
notice stated that the club must move out of the property within three days
"due to your failure to maintain the premises in a safe condition."
Mayor Mark Stodola said the city
must "keep guns out of the hands of the wrong people" and suggested
that people refuse to patronize clubs that seem to promote violence. Material
advertising the concert by Tennessee rapper Finese 2Tymes showed a man pointing
a gun at a camera.
"A promotional video with a gun
on the front cover inviting people to a concert ... should also be totally
unacceptable in our community," the mayor said. The shooting capped a violent week
in Arkansas' largest city. Police had responded to a dozen drive-by shootings
over the previous nine days.
"I'm sick of all the killing
and I'm tired of all the shooting. The kids getting hurt," said Raida
Bunche, who was waiting outside the club after hearing from a friend that her
son had been inside. She found out later that he had run from the club when the
shooting started and was not hurt.
The shooting occurred around 2:30
a.m. about 1 mile east of the state Capitol building. First-responders are
stationed through the central part of the city and hospitals are a quick ride
away.
"We had professional people
responding to that incident and they did what they were trained to do, and I
know they probably had something to do with the fact we didn't have any
fatalities," Buckner said. He also credited divine intervention.
About 100 people gathered at Second
Baptist Church on Saturday night for a candlelight vigil, seeking healing for
those injured, and the community. Stodola sat in the front row. "God bless our community. ...
God bless our first responders," Robert Holt, president of Let Our
Violence End and pastor at Healing Waters Outreach Center, said at the vigil.
Top state officials offered to help
the city respond to an increasing number of incidents. "Little Rock's crime problem
appears to be intensifying," Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a
statement. "Every few days it seems a high-profile shooting dominates the
news, culminating with (Saturday) morning's event. I have spoken this morning
with Mayor (Mark) Stodola and I have offered both my heart felt concern over
this senseless violent tragedy and state assets as needed to address the
continued threat of violence in our community."
A Facebook video posted from inside
the club included audio of at least 24 rounds fired in about 11 seconds. Darryl
Rankin, who posted the video, said a friend of his who attended the concert
with him had a bullet "stuck in his spine." Buckner said police had
not yet spoken with the rapper, who he said has outstanding warrants in the
state.
Calls to a number listed for Finese
2Tymes' booking agent weren't returned Saturday, but a message was posted on the artist's Facebook page offering
thoughts and prayers for those injured: "THE VIOLENCE IS NOT FOR THE CLUB
PEOPLE. WE ALL COME WITH 1 MOTIVE AT THE END OF THE DAY, AND THATS TO HAVE
FUN."
Before Stodola announced that the
city would shutter the club, officials at the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage
Control office suspended the club's liquor license and set a July 10 hearing on
three potential charges: disorderly conduct, allowing possession of weapons on
the premises and "failure to be a good neighbor."
The club's license has been
suspended 11 times for failing to pay taxes, and it has been cited seven times
for 14 various violations including unknowingly furnishing alcohol to minors
and allowing alcohol to leave the premises since 2012, ABC Director of
Enforcement Boyce Hamlet said.
Arkansas lawmakers this year passed
a law allowing concealed handguns in bars, with permission of the businesses'
owners and if the gun permit holder completes additional training. The law
takes effect Sept. 1, but the training likely won't be available until next
year.
Comments
This is
Black on Black crime committed at a “rapper” concert in a Black roadhouse. I can’t imagine that the 100 people in the
club cannot identify any of the shooters. This looks like a drug gang hit.
Norb
Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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