LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A business in the bar district of the Highlands is trying to put allegations on social media to rest, saying they're not to blame for the fatal shooting that happened over the weekend.
It left two people dead, and a third injured, after shots rang out along Baxter Avenue just before 2 a.m. Sunday.
"As far as who and where [the suspects] were at, they were not in our establishment," said Zachariah De Los Monteros, the general manager at Baxter's 942 Bar & Grill. "We have nothing to hide, and we don't condone violence and we do give our condolences to anybody who lost their life that night. It was not something that anybody wanted to happen."
De Los Monteros was working that night when violence ensued outside near his business and others. He tells us they've given hours worth of surveillance footage -- both inside and outside -- to authorities who are trying to piece together who fired shots and what their motive was.
WHAS11 also talked to employees at nearby Flanagan's Ale House, who said off camera they heard three different strings of gunshots just minutes apart. And when they later walked outside, they saw one of the victims laying along Morton Avenue.
Some late-night bars in the area continue to be the subject of heavy questioning from the public, and in some cases law enforcement, trying to find a solution to the violence.
Louisville Metro Councilman Ben Reno-Weber (D-8), who represents the Highlands, acknowledges what officials have called a gang issue in the city.
"This is likely gang related, and I think our recent acknowledgment that we have a significant gang problem in this city is a really important step," Reno-Weber told reporters on Sunday. "I know that we are working both locally and nationally to go after these gangs, and that is the first and most important thing that we could be doing."
On Monday, Baxter's said some folks are pointing the finger at them solely because they're a club.
"When you get a horde of people in anywhere, it's been proven all over the country -- things are going to happen, or it's just a high possibility. But we don't try to do that. That's why we keep our line this way. We try to keep the sidewalk clear," De Los Monteros said.
De Los Monteros told reporters the bar routinely has off-duty officers on site along with several security guards, including 10 of them late Saturday night into Sunday morning, to ensure the safety of customers.
Both Louisville Metro Police and the Metro Alcoholic Beverage Control unit are investigating.
Police say they don't have any suspects yet in this case, and they're asking for your help. If you know anything, you can leave a tip anonymously at 574-LMPD or click here.
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