The owner of a West Bay Road nightclub that was the scene of a double shooting Wednesday morning called the incident “regrettable” and noted that Royal Cayman Islands Police and the business had recently made good progress cutting down on violent incidents at the premises.
Two men were shot in the parking lot of Club 7 – formerly Pepper’s nightclub – just after 3am Wednesday. Both were taken to the Cayman Islands hospital and were still receiving treatment as of press time Thursday.
Club 7 liquor licence-holder and operator Lloyd Samson said the business had closed by the time shots rang out and that it appeared two separate groups got into a dispute in the parking lot. He said reports of separate shootings; one inside the club and one outside, were not accurate.
“There was no incident in the club at all, the dispute occurred outside,” Mr. Samson said.
Mr. Samson said he had recently met with George Town station commander Frank Owens and that RCIPS had agreed to place officers in the club area around closing time to help prevent such disputes, or take quick action if they should occur.
The idea appears to have worked. RCIPS reported one arrest at the scene of Wednesday morning’s shooting, although no charges had been filed at press time.
“I think [the police] were at least in close proximity at the time,” Mr. Samson said.
Club 7 – which experienced a fairly regular spate of violent incidents in its former existence as Pepper’s nightclub – has led a more low-key existence. Mr. Samson said there was one report of a stabbing there in December, but otherwise no major incidents since the business reopened last year.
The RCIPS is seeking assistance from anyone who may have been present at the club and who may have witnessed the shooting.
Anyone with information is asked to call RCIPS Tip-Line on 949-7777
“I think [the police] were at least in close proximity at the time [of the shooting].”
Lloyd Samson, Club 7 licensee
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What garbage! The parking lot is part of his premises and his responsibility. As long as he caters to the lowlifes this will continue. Nothing has happened there since a stabbing in December? Give me a break, a stabbing and shooting in three months is a LOT of crime.
Why would Mr Samson, a well known attorney, want to be involved in such a place?
The place should have its licence removed and be shut. It is obvious that criminal elements gather there or thereabouts and the landlord cannot control his clientele.
Is there no clause in any of our laws which would enable this? If not,there should be – at once. Let’s see these MLAs earn their huge salaries and expenses etc.
As for Mr Samson: how can he, a legal person, say with a straight face: one report of a stabbing last December,but no major incidents since the business reopened last year? Would he like to tell us of other incidents which were not major?
Cayman simply does not need places of entertainment such as this. Why does not our Godly Premier Mr Bush speak out and propose action against these places which foster and encourage criminals?
Shooting is regrettable says licensee. I hope he will be as broad-minded and charitable when he finds himself in the firing line. But then, of course he won’t ever be there when the guns start firing.
I really have to laugh sometimes at how little some people really understand about how Cayman works…at least some things in Cayman.
This licencee has had this licence and location for years now…along with all the trouble and violence that has taken place there.
Obviously, if the Liqour Licencing Board had seen fit to jerk his his licence, they would have by now, although its been suspended on a number of occasions.
In Cayman, people know people know people know people…that is how it works.
The RCIPS could also have requested that this location be shut down by now as well, if they wanted to.
At the end of the day, if the clientele who go there didn’t have that location to go to, they would go and take their trouble and problems to another location.
A stricter regime for nightclub operations could have been established some time ago but again, obviously…
Things remain they way they are because some very powerful and influential people want them to remain that way.
That is how things work in Cayman.