By Tawana Andrew, Digital Content Producer/Meteorologist
By Sara Rivest, Multi Media Journalist
By Erin O’Neil, Digital Content Producer

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) –  A gunman opened fire inside a popular nightclub in the Parkland neighborhood early Saturday morning, shooting seven people, the Louisville Metro Police Department said. The shooting happened just before 3 a.m. Saturday at Cole’s Place, located in the 2900 block of West Kentucky Street.

Chaos reigned inside the Louisville nightclub. Cell phones were rolling, capturing someone grabbing their gun and shooting after a fight. The LMPD confirmed that upon arrival at the club, officers found four people suffering from gunshot wounds that were not life-threatening.

LMPD spokesman Dwight Mitchell said two more gunshot victims took themselves to University Hospital, also with injuries that were not life-threatening. A seventh victim was grazed by a bullet but refused medical treatment, Mitchell said.

The owners of Cole’s Place, Cole’s Place Events (using the pen name “Jon Corleone”), posted the following statement to Instagram on Saturday night:

“On behalf of Cole’s Place, we send our deepest apologies to those who were injured and/or affected [sic] by last night’s incident. We (Cole’s Place) want to ensure [sic] you that we are taking precautionary measures to ensure stricter security, as the safety of our customers is a top priority. Due to that fact, there will be NO SOLD OUT SATURDAYS [sic] TONIGHT, March 17, 2018. Cole’s Place will be replacing the old security with new security and they will need this time to properly train the new security to perform searches.”

Saturday wasn’t the first time Cole’s Place had turned into a place for violence. Back in 2015, there was another shooting where seven people were injured, including a pregnant mother and her child.

Some in the West Louisville community who have experienced violence first hand want to change the narrative. On Saturday evening, a sign on the door of Cole’s Place denied entry to anyone who was armed, welcoming a new crowd arriving for a book release. A book about local violence.

Rashanna Bryant lost her 3 year old son in 2011. Writing Davion’s Justice was how she healed. “I’m not just going to turn my back on the club or on my community because of a shooting,” Bryant said.

Fewer than expected showed up to support her. What last night’s videos do not show, according to Bryant — is a community trying to create some change. “It doesn’t mean that its gonna stay negative. We always have time to change things into a positive,” Bryant said.

Ravon Churchill, who attended the book release for Davion’s Justice, echoed Bryant’s sentiments. “What happened last night it’s a sting, no doubt, its ugly. It smells bad, looks bad, it tastes bad but unfortunately that happens but you can’t not patronize this building or others in the west end because of what happens,” Churchill said.

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