Norfolk to crack down on nightclubs after 4 people, including sheriff’s deputy, were injured in downtown shooting
The city will expect all businesses in the entertainment district — from nightclubs to coffee shops — to explain in the coming months why they deserve the “privilege” of operating following a nightclub shooting that left four people injured early Friday morning, according to City Manager Chip Filer.
Filer said conditional use permits for these businesses will be “evaluated” and the City Council will start asking “hard questions” about whether it wants any businesses staying open until 2 a.m. on Granby Street.
“I think it’s safe to say that every establishment in the entertainment district downtown should begin preparing to come to this council and explain why they should continue to operate downtown,” Filer said at a news conference Friday afternoon. “That explanation should include very clearly what benefits you provide to the overall culture, health and entertainment of our citizens by way of your establishment operating in the downtown district.
“Make no mistake: operating downtown in Norfolk is a privilege.”
Police arrested Tyshawn M. Gray, of Norfolk, in the shooting. Gray, 25, is charged with four counts of use of a firearm, three counts of malicious wounding, one count of aggravated assault on law enforcement and one count of discharging a firearm in public. Gray is the only suspect, said Interim Police Chief Michael Goldsmith.
Filer said Gray was detained “within minutes” of the gunfire, in part due to the increased police presence downtown. He warned anyone thinking they can get away with violent behavior in downtown Norfolk is “wrong.”
A report of a shooting came in about 1:15 a.m. Police responded to 216 East Plume St., the Legacy Restaurant and Lounge, where they found four people with gunshot wounds.
A sheriff’s deputy, who was shot in the leg, and three other males were injured. They are all expected to recover. No shots were fired back at the suspect, according to Sheriff Joe Baron.
Goldsmith said police surveillance cameras in the area did not catch any part of the shooting, but other cameras they have access to in the area will be used as evidence. The chief declined to comment on whether Gray had the gun when he went into Legacy, pending the results of the investigation.
The injured deputy was on-duty, in full uniform, and helping other uniformed police officers address an altercation. They were attempting to move people out of the club when the suspect fired into the crowd, according to Baron.
The Norfolk sheriff’s office and police have been working together since May following a string of shooting incidents in the spring, Baron explained.
Goldsmith said there was an extra-duty detail made up of 14 Norfolk officers Thursday night on Granby Street. While there is room to add more, Goldsmith said police presence isn’t the issue.
“We do not think that this is, at this point, a law enforcement problem. This is a regulatory issue that needs to be taken up with the businesses on what’s happening inside their doors that may spill out into the street,” Goldsmith said.
The shooting highlights the struggles the city has had maintaining a safe nightlife environment in recent years. Filer commended the city’s staff and the businesses for their recent efforts in correcting issues with overcrowding, long lines spilling into the streets and loitering that were common around the time of a triple homicide in March. He added that while the problems outside have subsided, the challenge now is to address the problems that star inside.
“You are no longer able to claim immunity for things that occur outside your establishment when we can find evidence that creates no doubt that the genesis of the activity occurred in your establishment,” Filer said. “You will be held accountable for those actions.”
What happens to businesses will depend on their responses to the city’s challenge. Filer said the council has told him it’s “unacceptable” that there have been more issues in less-than-a-mile stretch of city than in any other part of it.
Asked if Legacy’s permits will be impacted because of Friday’s shooting, Filer only said that the City Council reserves the right to adjust or revoke conditional use permits.
Attempts to reach Legacy’s owners were unsuccessful.
Public records show the City Council granted Legacy a conditional use permit on Aug. 24, 2021, that allows it to operate as a nightclub and stay open until 2 a.m. During the application process, some concerns about the potential for noise, unruly behavior and trash were raised by a neighboring business owner and the Downtown Norfolk Civic League, though the league ultimately agreed with the permit approval.
Despite his frustration, Filer said that this effort is not about “going after everybody” or shutting businesses down, but rather encouraging businesses to provide a “very clear path for how they plan to be good corporate citizens to enhance the vibrancy, energy and activity that’s happening in our downtown district.”
“Make no mistake, this latest event is now the end,” he said. “We have tried cajoling, we have tried asking, we have tried incentivizing, we have tried begging. Those days are now over and the repercussions will now begin.”
Gavin Stone, gavin.stone@virginiamedia.com
