- Savannah,
GA, USA
- Thursday, 15
January 2009
-
- Club
Exclusive shut down after fatal shooting
A fatal
shooting outside a Savannah night club had neighbors wanting
it shut down. Now, they have their wish.
Saturday
morning, a bouncer at Club Exclusive was shot and killed
after police say the suspect was kicked out and came back
with a gun.
Tonight, the
owners have turned in their keys and the club is closed for
good.
Wednesday
night is quiet at the corner of Bull Street and 41st in
Savannah. By the weekend, Leal Eide says business definitely
picks up.
"I had been
warned about the noise and the previous guy moved out
because of the noise and he was scared," Eide said.
Eide runs his
antique business and lives just a block away from Club
Exclusive. Early Saturday morning, police say Joseph Brunson
shot and killed the club's bouncer, Derek Melton. Eide says
it's not the first time the club has seen trouble.
"I think it's
terrible. I think they should do something about the club,"
Eide told WTOC.
"How many
times you give people," Bobby Battle said.
Battle claims
Melton was one of his best friends. He says he knows what
should happen. "Close it down. Close it down now," he said.
"I think I
heard the mayor saying if there was another shooting, close
it down. I think the mayor said he was gonna shut it down.
Shut it down. Be a man of your word," Eide said.
It turns out,
the city won't have to do anything. The owners of Club
Exclusive have shut their doors and will not reopen. City
alderman Van Johnson tells WTOC the owners turned in their
keys to the property owners, have decided not to renew their
liquor license and have canceled a planned meeting with city
leaders.
Eide says Club
Exclusive may be gone, but it won't solve all of the
problems in the nearby community. "There's a lot of crime
around this neighborhood and I think something should be
done," Eide said.
Van Johnson
tells WTOC the owners of Club Exclusive informed the City of
Savannah Department of Revenue of their decision Wednesday.
Club Exclusive is now closed on 41st and Bull, but he says
the owners may look to reopen in a different area.