Demonbreun Street bar responds after man shot, killed by security
Nashville TN June 14 2023 Metro police said an argument between customers leaving Vibes Bar and Lounge escalated to gun violence in a nearby parking lot early Saturday morning.
Vibes management sat down with News 2 to share their side of the story, pointing out the shooting was not on their property and did not involve their security guard.
Metro police said an argument led to gunshots in a parking lot. Patrick Charles, 33, was shot by a security guard after he fired shots at a car leaving the parking lot, according to investigators.
“They are not associated with Vibes Bar and Lounge at all,” Vibes manager Stephen Marsh said.
Saturday morning’s incident is just the most recent shooting on this section of Demonbreun Street. In February, a 25-year-old driving away from a verbal argument in the area was shot, according to police. That’s on top of a woman getting shot while standing outside of a bar early New Year’s Day.
“It is concerning. This seems like a safe area, definitely one of the safer areas (of Nashville) that a lot of people like to hang out in,” said Michael Burgess, who works near Demonbreun.
Some in the area have started a petition to shut down Vibes Bar, citing ongoing crime concerns and emergency calls for service.
A few doors down, police padlocked Bar 3000 back in April, calling it a public nuisance.
The Nashville District Attorney’s Office said even if there was a similar push for another business, they wouldn’t be able to confirm it.
“There’s just a lot of misinformation and if you do want some real information, come check us out and check out Vibes and see how we roll,” Marsh said. “We just really do care about safety; it’s a big deal for us.”
Others in the area said it’s hard to prevent all violence, and they are comforted by the large police presence there on weekends.
“I think it comes with everyone being allowed to have guns and alcohol leading to altercations in these bars,” Burgess said.
In 2021, Metro Police Chief John Drake introduced a crime-reducing initiative in the area, which included doubling police presence on the weekends and adding a Sky Cop camera. Previously, businesses and nearby residents told News 2 they did think the added security was a step in the right direction.
