Seattle to crack down on hookah lounges after deadly shootings

A proposed ordinance aimed at regulating illegal after-hours nightclubs was passed unanimously, 5-0, by the Seattle City Council’s Public Safety Committee to regulate venues that have operated in a legal gray area while allegedly contributing to incidents of violence, including shootings, assaults, and disturbances.

The bill comes after a deadly double shooting at the Capri Hookah Lounge on Rainier Avenue S. a little more than a week ago. Prosecutors said Leontai Berry, 25, shot two people near the lounge and is now charged with first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a gun. He’s currently being held on a $5 million bail.

Court documents revealed the suspect shot one man in the head outside the lounge, then shot and killed a security guard who chased after him.

“The establishment was closed at the time,” a man who claimed to be head of the security at the hookah lounge told KIRO 7. “He was attempting to clear out everybody that was trying to linger around and then a random act occurred and he used his duty weapon to protect himself and those around.”

The lounge has been connected to previous violence, including a March 9 argument that, according to the Seattle Police Department (SPD), led to a shooting. Investigators said they counted 95 shell casings outside the lounge.

Capri Hookah Lounge now a chronic nuisance property

In response to the ongoing issues, Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes declared the Capri Hookah Lounge a chronic nuisance property, giving the business seven days to present a plan to address the disturbances, or the City Attorney may take legal action.

Councilmember Bob Kettle, Chair of the Public Safety Committee, drafted the proposed ordinance to regulate businesses that illegally sell alcohol, which are often private clubs or hookah lounges that sometimes charge fees to patrons to become members. The Seattle Times reported that because many of the clubs and lounges are private, they are not required to allow police or Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board officers to enter. Many of these types of businesses host large events promoted on social media and draw young people willing to party well past early morning hours.

Kettle’s ordinance could help curb violence between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. in unregulated, after-hours establishments, with the Seattle City Attorney’s Office. Kettle said the ordinance is designed to specifically target businesses that operate without permits or oversight during these hours, often with the intent of providing spaces for socializing, smoking, or dancing. Licensed bars, restaurants, nightclubs, theaters, or strip clubs, which already meet security and licensing requirements, would not be impacted.

According to The Seattle Times, so far this year, 17 shootings have been tied to nightlife, with 11 of them occurring between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., Deputy City Attorney Scott Lindsay said during a presentation Tuesday to the committee. He called these clubs “the nexus of the issue.”

The measure now goes to a full City Council vote on April 15.

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