Milwaukee committee revokes ELMNT Lounge’s license; council decision next
Committee revokes ELMNT Lounge's license
The Milwaukee Licenses Committee voted to revoke the license of ELMNT Lounge.
MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Licenses Committee voted to revoke the license of ELMNT Lounge on Tuesday, Oct. 21, following a string of violent incidents tied to the Water Street bar, including a deadly shooting this summer.
Vote to revoke
What we know:
The decision came after a four-hour hearing where dozens of community members and business leaders testified. The vote still needs approval from the Common Council, which is scheduled to meet Nov. 4.
ELMNT Lounge
This comes after the Milwaukee Police Department filed the revocation complaint, citing multiple shootings connected to the lounge.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
In June, officers responded to a shooting in a parking structure across the street involving patrons who had just left ELMNT Lounge. In July, six people were shot outside the club in a drive-by; two of them died.
Water Street shootings: Milwaukee leaders, police meet Wednesday
Milwaukee leaders pressed the police department for solutions Wednesday after a number of recent shootings on Water Street.
Community weighs in
What they're saying:
"We do want to emphasize violence of this nature threatens our city’s reputation," said Peggy Williams-Smith, CEO of Visit Milwaukee.
Police said the concentrated population in downtown leaves more people exposed to gun violence.
Matt Dorner of Milwaukee Downtown BID 21 added, "Ultimately that feeds into people’s perceptions if they want to live, work and play downtown."
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
Property owners also testified that tenants have broken leases over safety concerns.
ELMNT Lounge’s attorneys argued the shootings did not happen inside the lounge and said the business has been cooperative with police. Several supporters, including DJ Armando Saafir, defended the club.
"I feel like ELMNT is getting scapegoated in a sense," Saafir said. "Can’t be getting blamed for events that occur in the vicinity."
Final vote
What's next:
The committee ultimately sided with city leaders and police in recommending the revocation. The Common Council will make the final decision next month.
The Source: FOX6 News attended Milwaukee’s Licenses Committee meeting on Tuesday and utilized prior coverage.