L&I Shuts Down Philly Social Club Where 7 People Were Injured in Mass Shooting

License & Inspections shut down a Philadelphia social club where seven people, including three teens, were injured in a mass shooting last week. 

An L&I spokesperson told NBC10 Monday that they closed Golf and Social Bar due to coronavirus violations. The spokesperson also said the establishment will soon be able to reopen for food and beverage service only while live entertainment will be prohibited.

On Friday at 8:02 p.m., Philadelphia police responded to the 1000 block of Delaware Avenue for a reported shooting. When they arrived they found two shooting victims inside a 7-Eleven store and two more victims inside the nearby Golf and Social Bar. 

Shortly after, three more shooting victims arrived at Jefferson Hospital. 

Philadelphia Police Department Deputy Commissioner Joel Dales said the shooting seemingly stemmed from some sort of altercation that happened inside the club and then spilled out. Surveillance video showed a gunman firing into a crowd of people standing on the street, leaving their blood and at least 21 spent shell casings on the ground, according to investigators. 

During the shooting, a 42-year-old man was shot in the chest, an 18-year-old man was shot in the armpit, a 21-year-old man was shot in the foot, a 17-year-old boy was shot in the hip, another 21-year-old man was shot in the cheek, a 23-year-old man was shot in the chest and leg and another 17-year-old boy was shot in the toe. 

The 42-year-old man, 18-year-old man, 21-year-old man who was shot in the cheek and 23-year-old man are all in critical condition. The other three victims are stable. 

The video also showed several people standing around a white SUV and white car parked in the nearby Rivers Casino lot before leaving the area in a gray car. 

Police later located the empty white SUV and found two semi-automatic handguns inside. They also found the empty white car which they determined was stolen. Both vehicles were taken to a police garage for further inspection. A person of interest was also taken into custody though no charges have been filed. 

Dales said the area is not typically on the department’s “radar,” but the social club is known to be “problematic.”

The shooting was just the latest in a wave of gun violence roiling Philadelphia, and it wasn't the only mass shooting in recent weeks.

Earlier Friday, a gunman killed an 11-year-old boy who was riding his bike in the Oxford Circle neighborhood. Police did not immediately make an arrest. Last week, meanwhile, one person died and five were wounded when gunmen opened fire at a Nicetown party.

Philadelphia Police Department Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said after the Nicetown shooting that there would be more police officers assigned to high-crime areas. Residents have also protested and called on Mayor Jim Kenney to stem the gunfire, but the violence has continued unabated.

Philadelphia police crime statistics showed at least 777 shootings as of the week ending March 21. There have also been 117 homicides as of March 28, up 29% from the same time last year which was ultimately one of the deadliest years in decades for Philadelphia.

Outlaw said she’s worried that as the weather warms, more people will get shot.

There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.