DeeBlaze33
New member
Kinda.. This is from the local paper here.
The shooting of five concert-goers in a downtown Gainesville nightclub early Sunday morning has 238 West promoter Jonathan Corey Smith vowing to make some changes.
Smith said he usually worries about keeping musicians safe from spectators, but he plans to start protecting the crowd from the performers, too.
Gainesville police have their doubts the club will do enough and pledge to step up their presence near 238 West to avert a similar incident.
Fifteen minutes before closing time, bullets sprayed into a sold-out crowd of about 1,000 people gathered to see rapper Plies and one other performer. Witnesses told police that members of the Tampa rapper's entourage had pulled their weapons and began firing.
Police went to the group's car nearby and arrested four men, including Plies.
The rapper, whose real name is Algernod Lanier Washington, was performing "street rap" in the club at 238 W. University Ave. when his microphone was cut off so Louisiana rapper Lil Boosie could perform. It was 1:45 a.m., and Washington's performance was running long.
Washington was enraged, according to Smith, and a fight that started with shouting and fists ended when at least six rounds of bullets were fired.
Many in the crowd immediately dropped to the ground, others ran out of the club so fast that their shoes were left behind.
Two men in Washington's entourage, including his brother Ronell Lawrence Lavatte, 31, of Cape Coral, and Tory Denard Carnegie, 21, of Fort Myers, were charged with attempted murder, each accused of firing at least three rounds. Washington, 30, and Keon D. McRae, 21, of Cape Coral, were charged with illegal possession of a concealed weapon after police found five loaded firearms and additional rounds of armor-piercing ammunition in a vehicle they were riding in.
No one received life-threatening injuries, however all five of the people shot - all Gainesville residents - were taken to Shands at the University of Florida for treatment. Among them were Billy Dee Williams, who was shot in the neck; Steve Ruben Jean-Jaques, who was shot in the foot; Edwin Devasco Faircloth, who was shot in the stomach; Michael Lamar Daymon, who was shot in the arm; and Dorian Shannel Johnson, whose cheek was grazed by a bullet.
Gainesville Police spokesman Sgt. Keith Kameg said the four men implicated in the shooting fled to their Buick LaCrosse immediately afterward, but were unable to leave because six policemen - including one on horseback - surrounded them and held them at gunpoint.
Smith, known as Jock Smooth at the club, said he always has his security guards pat people down and check their purses before admitting them. But performers are in and out of the back doors as they bring in their equipment, so they easily could have smuggled the weapons in.
"I just never thought we'd have to really, really scrutinize an artist. From now on, we're going to have to start checking their crates, maybe we'll even get metal detectors," Smith said. He said he plans to boycott Plies and his music altogether, and he hopes the city of Gainesville does the same.
Smith said promoters from all over the state called him Sunday, shocked with the news of the shootings.
GPD's Kameg said Smith initially did not cooperate with police and that the club's security was not sufficient.
"Obviously adequate security wasn't there when so many people inside the club had weapons," he said. "It was basically a group of 3-year-olds fighting over a toy, but with ammunition that could cut through police vests."
Plies is touted as an up-and-coming musician in some rap magazines, including this month's edition of XXL, which ran a full-page photo of him and called him "Florida rap's next biggest thing." He entered the music world with his single "Tell Dem Crackers Dat" in 2003 and more recently accompanied the musician Trina in her song "So Fresh."
Kim Johnson, whose niece Dorian Johnson's face was grazed by a bullet, said the young woman spent Saturday shopping with her for an outfit to wear to that night's concert. The aunt didn't know her niece had been shot until she heard her name on Sunday evening's television news.
GPD's Kameg said the shooting capped what was already a busy night for GPD officers.
The shooting of five concert-goers in a downtown Gainesville nightclub early Sunday morning has 238 West promoter Jonathan Corey Smith vowing to make some changes.
Smith said he usually worries about keeping musicians safe from spectators, but he plans to start protecting the crowd from the performers, too.
Gainesville police have their doubts the club will do enough and pledge to step up their presence near 238 West to avert a similar incident.
Fifteen minutes before closing time, bullets sprayed into a sold-out crowd of about 1,000 people gathered to see rapper Plies and one other performer. Witnesses told police that members of the Tampa rapper's entourage had pulled their weapons and began firing.
Police went to the group's car nearby and arrested four men, including Plies.
The rapper, whose real name is Algernod Lanier Washington, was performing "street rap" in the club at 238 W. University Ave. when his microphone was cut off so Louisiana rapper Lil Boosie could perform. It was 1:45 a.m., and Washington's performance was running long.
Washington was enraged, according to Smith, and a fight that started with shouting and fists ended when at least six rounds of bullets were fired.
Many in the crowd immediately dropped to the ground, others ran out of the club so fast that their shoes were left behind.
Two men in Washington's entourage, including his brother Ronell Lawrence Lavatte, 31, of Cape Coral, and Tory Denard Carnegie, 21, of Fort Myers, were charged with attempted murder, each accused of firing at least three rounds. Washington, 30, and Keon D. McRae, 21, of Cape Coral, were charged with illegal possession of a concealed weapon after police found five loaded firearms and additional rounds of armor-piercing ammunition in a vehicle they were riding in.
No one received life-threatening injuries, however all five of the people shot - all Gainesville residents - were taken to Shands at the University of Florida for treatment. Among them were Billy Dee Williams, who was shot in the neck; Steve Ruben Jean-Jaques, who was shot in the foot; Edwin Devasco Faircloth, who was shot in the stomach; Michael Lamar Daymon, who was shot in the arm; and Dorian Shannel Johnson, whose cheek was grazed by a bullet.
Gainesville Police spokesman Sgt. Keith Kameg said the four men implicated in the shooting fled to their Buick LaCrosse immediately afterward, but were unable to leave because six policemen - including one on horseback - surrounded them and held them at gunpoint.
Smith, known as Jock Smooth at the club, said he always has his security guards pat people down and check their purses before admitting them. But performers are in and out of the back doors as they bring in their equipment, so they easily could have smuggled the weapons in.
"I just never thought we'd have to really, really scrutinize an artist. From now on, we're going to have to start checking their crates, maybe we'll even get metal detectors," Smith said. He said he plans to boycott Plies and his music altogether, and he hopes the city of Gainesville does the same.
Smith said promoters from all over the state called him Sunday, shocked with the news of the shootings.
GPD's Kameg said Smith initially did not cooperate with police and that the club's security was not sufficient.
"Obviously adequate security wasn't there when so many people inside the club had weapons," he said. "It was basically a group of 3-year-olds fighting over a toy, but with ammunition that could cut through police vests."
Plies is touted as an up-and-coming musician in some rap magazines, including this month's edition of XXL, which ran a full-page photo of him and called him "Florida rap's next biggest thing." He entered the music world with his single "Tell Dem Crackers Dat" in 2003 and more recently accompanied the musician Trina in her song "So Fresh."
Kim Johnson, whose niece Dorian Johnson's face was grazed by a bullet, said the young woman spent Saturday shopping with her for an outfit to wear to that night's concert. The aunt didn't know her niece had been shot until she heard her name on Sunday evening's television news.
GPD's Kameg said the shooting capped what was already a busy night for GPD officers.
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