Early Sunday morning, a shooting at the Pravda nightclub on North Front Street left one victim in serious condition. Wilmington Police officers and a New Hanover County Sheriff's Office deputy responded to the shooting; law enforcement chased a suspect on foot and took him into custody.
During Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, Councilman Luke Waddell weighed in on the situation. He praised law enforcement’s quick response but also said he holds certain downtown businesses at least partially responsible for recent violence.
"There are a few establishments downtown that are bad actors, and they're consistent catalysts to violent crime in our downtown area," Waddell said, adding that it was unfair to law enforcement, other downtown establishments, and the community in general.
Waddell asked staff to "compile recent crime data related to these establishments that have become a nuisance to our downtown, and bring that data back to this body in whatever fashion we deem reasonable," so council can decide what action to take.
In a Facebook post, Pravda management lamented the "senseless" violence, which they called an isolated incident, and said they are cooperating with authorities.
“Our hearts are heavy after the senseless violent incident that happened inside our business last night at 2am. The safety and well-being of our customers and employees has always been our top priority. We commend our brave security staff who were instrumental in assisting the police in the immediate apprehension and arrest of the suspect and helping our patrons safely exit. We are cooperating fully with law enforcement as they investigate this deplorable event. As details continue to emerge, this appears to be an isolated incident between two individuals," the post read."
It’s not yet clear what actions the city could take. However, back in 2011 — District Attorney Ben David filed a civil injunction on behalf of the state against Club Rhino, a downtown club linked to repeated incidents of gang-related violence. The establishment closed shortly afterward — although that was far from the end of the region’s problems with gun violence.
In the coming years, David would later expand his use of civil injunctions to target criminal behavior at several hotels on the Market Street corridor, and later a list of specific gang members. The so-called 'anti-gang' injunction faced a challenge from the ACLU, but was ultimately allowed to lapse; David defended the civil measure and said it had been successful. In an interview late last year, David said he would still support the use of injunctions if and when needed.
