Five people shot at Niagara nightclub
Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada Sept 5 2017
A late night dance concert ended with five people shot outside the L8 night club early Sunday morning.
Niagara Regional Police were called to the Lundy’s Lane venue at about 4:45 a.m. about reports of gunshots.
Police initially said upon arrival they found three people injured, all taken to hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.
But in a news release issued Sunday night, police said they had identified two additional victims following the shooting at the Thorold nightclub. Both victims were being treated in hospital with serious injuries that police also said were not life-threatening.
Police said the victims were four males and one female.
Several vehicles in the parking lot were also damaged during the crime.
Police said the shots were fired from a vehicle leaving the area after the first night of the scheduled two-night Full Moon Party had ended at about 4 a.m. They are searching for two suspects who fled in a dark-coloured sedan.
The club, which lists its address as 13030 Lundy’s Lane in Niagara Falls, is the former Penthouse strip club at the corner of Highway 20 and Thorold Townline Road. The area in front of the club was blocked off by police as the investigation continued all day Sunday.
The violence marred the first-year event, which featured EDM artists Blasterjaxx, Bassjackers and Baka Not Nice performing both indoors and on an outdoors stage. The concert coincided with the Niagara Falls Night Market food festival which ran until midnight Saturday.
Organizer Quan Nguyen of All Bros Entertainment was hoping to continue the event Sunday. He tentatively planned to re-open at 5 p.m. instead of the scheduled 2 p.m.
It never happened, as police had the area taped off until approximately 11 p.m. Sunday night. Organizers tried to find an alternate venue for the show but eventually had to cancel. “We are unable to secure a venue at this point in time and will have to fully cancel the festival,” an organizer posted on the event’s Facebook page. Several EDM artists were booked to perform, including Mija and Rich Homie Quan.
“We never expected something like this at all,” said Quan, who said security was vigilant all night Saturday during the show.
“The Night Market was great, the concert was great … there wasn’t any incident we were aware of. We had ample security throughout the whole night.”
Several food vendors were unaware of the incident overnight, and showed up Sunday to see the area taped off.
Toronto’s Evans Zhong said “nobody knows when it’s going to open,” adding vendors weren’t sent a message or phoned.
Another vendor, wishing to remain anonymous, was angry at possibly losing a full day of sales after paying nearly $2,000 to take part.
“People are upset they can’t get in,” he said. “We show up to a shooting scene. Who’s going to come here now after a shooting?”
Driving by the scene, Mewburn Road resident Terry Buchanan said the violence “was getting too close” to where he lives.
“I don’t know why they can’t just have a do without this crap. This is crazy.”
