LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A brawl at a Highlands nightclub led to a nearby shooting that left a person injured early Sunday.
Metro Police said their officers responded to the 900 block of Baxter Avenue near Baxter’s 942 Bar and Grill around 2 a.m. Sunday.
“At one point, you would think it would calm down, but just kept getting worse and worse,” Derya Vega, who lives near the bar, said. “It was really a snowball effect. I’m not sure why it started.”
Vega said the scuffle grew larger by the minute and she decided to grab her phone and start recording. She believes about 40 to 50 people may have been involved.
WHAS11 reached out to Baxter’s, and they confirmed the incident started between two patrons and their security team stepped in to respond.
“A domino effect occurred which involved out of town and largely unknown patrons attacking our security team, and outnumbering them,” Baxter’s owner Kevin Strnatka said in a statement. “Regulars of the establishment quickly came to the aid of our security and helped push the aggressors off our property.”
A spokesperson for LMPD said by 3 a.m., an overspill of the crowd led to someone firing shots into a crowd on Baxter Avenue, hitting someone. It’s unclear if that person was connected to the incident.
“In Louisville, especially this last year, we’ve lost a lot of people – people that we know unfortunately,” Vega said. I feel bad for those families. Unfortunately, that’s why I was recording on the scene.”
The video, some said, is a window into the ongoing issues facing the city’s nightlife.
“I feel like it’s a responsibility on us as adults to keep the community safe, you know?” Vega said.
WHAS11 did reach out to Louisville ABC, and they told us Baxter’s has not been cited for the incident, but said they are currently under investigation.
Metro Councilman Ben Reno Weber, who represents District 8, released a statement on Sunday about the violence.
"The epidemic of violence in our city demands an immediate response. But it also demands a long-term investment in the root causes of violence that goes beyond just lip service. It happens when people have lost hope, when they themselves have been exposed to violence, and when they don’t see another way. As a city, we can do better.”
LMPD said the victim from the shooting has non-life threatening injuries and they do not have a suspect in the incident.
If you have any information that can help police, you are asked to call the Anonymous Tip Line at (502) 574-LMPD or use their online Crime Tip Portal.
Full statement from Baxter's 942 Bar and Grill:
"An unfortunate incident happened last night at our establishment. It began with an altercation between two patrons. Our security responded to stop the assault and remove the instigator of the altercation. Friends of the instigator quickly escalated the situation. A domino effect occurred which involved out of town, and largely unknown patrons attacking our security team, and outnumbering them. Regulars of the establishment quickly came to the aid of our security, and helped push the aggressors off of our property. As an establishment we made the quick decision to close early to ensure the safety of our patrons and staff. While we love people visiting our city we ask you treat our establishment and nearby areas with respect and kindness. I want to commend my security team and our customers that came to our defense."
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