The shooting occurred at the Power Ultra Lounge nightclub in Little Rock, Arkansas, in the early hours of Saturday morning. Initially, figures were quoted as 17 shooting victims, but that figure has now been estimated by police to be at least 28. Little Rock Police now believe the multiple shooting could be gang-related.

Multiple victims in Little Rock nightclub shooting

Hundreds of people were dancing and enjoying themselves at the Power Ultra Lounge nightclub when the shooting started at around 2:30 a.m. Saturday morning, causing panic and confusion as people attempted to flee the club.

Little Rock Police Chief Kenton Buckner said on Saturday that two of the shooting victims are still in a critical condition, while three other people have suffered unrelated injuries, caused when trying to flee the club.

20 to 40 shots fired in Power Ultra Lounge nightclub

Buckner yesterday confirmed that there were multiple shooters in the nightclub and he estimates somewhere between 20 to 40 shots were fired, based on the Facebook Live video taken by one clubber, Darryl Rankin, at the scene, an excerpt of which is included here.

Buckner gave credit to the swift work by first responders in saving all the shooting victims, whose ages ranged from 16 to 35 years of age. It was confirmed by the city’s Mayor Mark Stodola Saturday that all victims are expected to survive the shooting incident.

Power Ultra Lounge to be shut down by city

Stodola said in a statement that the nightclub is to be immediately shut down due to the owner’s failure to keep the premises in a safe condition.

They have been ordered to vacate the premises within three days.

Drive-by shootings and gangs in Little Rock

ABC News is reporting that police believe the incident to be gang-related.

The incident at the nightclub comes after a week of shooting violence in Little Rock, where there have been several drive-by shootings in the previous days. Buckner said the multiple shooting at the Ultra Power Lounge appears to be a continuation of various disputes between the local gangs.

NBC News quotes Buckner as saying off-duty officers were patrolling the event and parking lot earlier that evening and assisting with security. Reportedly officers stopped a number of individuals attempting to openly carry weapons into the venue, including a member of Finese 2Tymes’ entourage, the rapper headlining the event. However, Buckner says they believe other individuals with guns may have accessed the club via an alternative door.

NBC notes that a post on the nightclub’s Facebook page for the Friday event showed a promotional poster featuring the rapper, Finese 2Tymes, pointing what looks like a gun directly at the camera and pictured in the tweet below.
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