A District man was
fatally shot outside a swanky club on Washington's Southwest
waterfront early yesterday before police shot his alleged killer
in another outbreak of violence that is again bringing scrutiny
to the region's night scene.
The shooting near H2O Restaurant
& Lounge has prompted D.C. Police
Chief Cathy L. Lanier to use her emergency powers and shut down
the club for four days. It was the third time she has
temporarily closed a club this year.
Such
violence at a club as prominent as H2O -- which hosted a
fundraiser last week for Sen.
Barack Obama, a Democratic presidential
candidate -- is eliciting more calls for nightclub reform.
"We're in a terrible condition in these places, particularly
late at night," said D.C. Council member Jim Graham
(D-Ward 1). "It's sadly not surprising, and tragically so."
Nightspots
in the District and Prince
George's County have been under pressure in recent months after
several people were shot in or near the establishments. In the
District, a 17-year-old was killed in January, prompting public
outcry and proposed legislation aimed at stemming the bloodshed.
In Prince George's, county officials briefly ordered nine
nightclubs shut down last month, saying they were magnets for
violent crime. On Saturday morning, a man was shot outside one
of those clubs after a fight.
The earlier D.C.
violence prompted Graham to write the Youth Protection Bill,
which would place greater restrictions on nightclubs that serve
alcohol and allow patrons under 18. The bill is pending,
following hearings earlier this year that brought a close
examination of the city's thriving music scene.
At H2O
yesterday, the shooting started after a party hosted by light
middleweight boxing champion
Floyd Mayweather.
Nelson Able Jr., 39, of the 500 block of Webster Street NW, was
killed about a block from H2O, which is in the 800 block of
Water Street SW, police said.
The man who
allegedly shot him, Rashod Holmes, 26, turned his gun on a
police officer, who shot and wounded Holmes, according to
police. Holmes is expected to survive.
The shooting
occurred as the club was closing about 3 a.m., when Able and
Holmes were arguing inside H2O, police said. Bouncers threw them
out, and Holmes went to his car and got a handgun, police said.
Holmes then shot
Able in the head, killing him, police said. A D.C. police
officer working an overtime security detail at the club saw the
shooting, authorities said.
The officer
ordered Holmes to drop his gun, but Holmes turned and pointed it
at the officer, police said. The officer shot Holmes in the left
eye and groin, authorities said.
Holmes, of the
500 block of Shepherd Street NW, has been charged with
second-degree murder while armed.
Investigators
said they do not know what the men were arguing over but said it
was a neighborhood dispute that probably started before the men
got to the club.
