Little Rock nightclub shooting

Little Rock nightclub shooting
Little Rock nightclub shooting
Location	Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.
Coordinates	34°44′37″N 92°16′24″W / 34.74357°N 92.27322°W
Date	July 1, 2017 ; c. 2:30am (CST)
Attack type	Mass shooting, shootout
Weapons	Firearm
Deaths	0
Injured	28+ (25 by gunfire; 2 seriously)
Perpetrators	Tyler Jackson; Ricky Hampton; Kentrell Gwynn;
Accused	Cordero Ragland

Around 2:30 am on July 1, 2017, a shootout occurred at the Power Ultra Lounge nightclub in downtown Little Rock, Arkansas, United States. Twenty-eight people were injured and one hospitalized.

Incident

On July 1, 2017, a mass shooting occurred at the Power Ultra Lounge in downtown Little Rock, Arkansas, around 2:30 AM CST.^[1] The shootout lasted eleven seconds and started about thirty seconds into a break from a concert by rapper Finesse2tymes.^[2]^[3] An eyewitness stated that the attack happened during the performance and was unexpected, with a large number of individuals lying on the floor in an attempt to avoid the bullets. He also stated, "People didn't know whether to run or stay down cause you couldn't see where he was. You could hear the gun shots. As soon as you saw people trying to run you see them run right back in."^[4]

A video from inside the club during the attack, which included audio of at least 24 rounds being fired in about 11 seconds, was posted by a friend of a victim to Facebook.^[5]

According to the Little Rock Police Department, 25 people were shot and three were hurt in other ways after a dispute that started in the club. Those shot were between the ages 16 and 35, with three others injured potentially from fleeing the scene.^[1] There were no fatalities related to the attack.^[6]

Investigation

Police reported that they believed gang members were present at the shooting, and that there was a potentially gang aspect to the shooting.^[6] The Police Chief told reporters that "We do not believe this was an act of terror. Some sort of dispute ensued."^[4] Investigators also believe that multiple people fired during the event, instead of one single perpetrator.^[5] Eventually Tyler Jackson of Wrightsville, Arkansas, Ricky "Finesse2Tymes" Hampton and Kentrell Dominique "Dirt" Gwynn both of West Memphis, Arkansas were all arrested in connection with the shooting and Jackson, who was the first to fire a weapon in the shooting pled guilty to three counts of aggravated assault in exchange for a 20-year prison sentence, and Hampton pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and Gwynn pled guilty to aggravated assault for firing a gun during the melee. Both Hampton and Gwynn also pleaded guilty to federal charges that arose from the shooting investigation.^[7] Jacksons sentence will run concurrently with a 20-year sentence murder and robbery of 14-year-old Cyncere Alexander about two weeks after the club shootout.^[8]^[9] However, as of July 2022, police are still looking for one more suspected shooter, Cordero Ragland.^[10]

Aftermath

The Mayor of Little Rock, Mark Stodola, said he plans to shut down Power Ultra Lounge as a result of the shooting. The venue, which is only zoned as a restaurant and not permitted to host events, also had its alcohol permit suspended by Alcoholic Beverage Control, which said it had been cited for 14 violations since 2012.^[11]

On July 11, members of the Pulaski County Quorum Court rejected a proposal by Justice Judy Green to encourage the county's cities to place a 180-day moratorium on performers and concerts which incite or promote violence.^[12]^[13] Instead, it was amended to encourage "civil discourse among residents" and "positive actions of empowerment and improvement", before passing unanimously. Opponents, including County Attorney Adam Fogleman and City Attorney Tom Carpenter, decried the original's loose definitions and potential to unconstitutionally limit free speech. Green admitted she knew it would not pass, but had wanted to draw media attention to her cause.^[14]