Council member pushes to close Louisville lounge after 4 people shot, including 17-year-old

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Residents of Louisville's Klondike neighborhood are shocked following an early morning shooting Sunday at Lenny's Lounge. 

Louisville Metro Police said one victim is in critical condition. One of the victims is 17 years old while the three other victims are ages 18 -21.

LMPD said officers responded to Lenny's Lounge around 5:30 a.m. Sunday following reports of multiple people being shot. When officers made it to the scene, they found two young adults who had been shot.

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Those two individuals were transported to UofL Hospital. Police said two other victims made it to another hospital on their own before being transferred to UofL.

Pradip Betwal said he has lived in the Klondike neighborhood for 15 years and has never heard of anything like this happening there. He said he saw police at the lounge Sunday morning but wasn't sure why they were there. 

"I'm very sad to hear that news," he said. "Hopefully, those families are good, and those that got shot are OK. I pray for them."

Louisville Metro Councilmember Josie Raymond, D-10, said constituents she represents informed her about the shooting. She said Klondike neighbors were extremely anxious when they found out the private club would be coming to the area more than a year ago. Raymond said the neighborhood has always been quiet and family oriented. 

The area is packed with local businesses, and there is even a day care adjacent to Lenny's Lounge. 

Raymond said she has always felt the lounge was out of place. After hearing the shocking details about the shooting, Raymond said she feels like this is the last straw. 

"It's incredibly sad to learn of a shooting in our community, but I'm outraged by the circumstances," Raymond said. "Learning that it was teenagers — a 17-year-old at 5:30 in the morning. You're talking about breaking every rule there is, and, ultimately, it led to tragedy."

Raymond is now pushing to have the lounge closed for good. 

"This establishment has been open for almost a year, and it's created anxiety in the community for longer than that, since neighbors have known that there was going to be a private club opening," Raymond said. "This business got a fair shot in this community, and it blew it again and again and again. This is the last straw. We don't want this business open in our neighborhood another day."

LMPD hasn't said whether there was underaged drinking happening in the club, but Louisville's Alcoholic Beverage Control issued an emergency suspension of the club's alcohol serving license Sunday while the agency conducts an investigation.

Alcohol cannot be sold or trafficked in the lounge, and the lounge can remain open while under investigation.

LMPD's Non-Fatal Shooting Squad is leading the investigation into the shooting.

On Sunday, after the shooting, the owner of the lounge was arrested for possessing a gun, which violates the terms of an unrelated Domestic Violence Order.

LMPD has not shared the status for the other three victims who were injured.

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