Pfffftt!
"Police focus again on Lawrence nightclub; Weekend shooting near venue leaves 1 dead, 1 hurt" by John M. Guilfoil, Globe Correspondent | October 13, 2008
After a shooting yesterday that left a man dead and another seriously injured, police in Lawrence said they are fed up with the violence and disorder outside a nightclub where they have had to respond to hundreds of calls over the last decade.
Several 911 calls came in about 1:15 a.m., as Punto Final club and bar was nearing closing time. Police arrived and found two friends, Julio Zuniga, 33, and Roberto Sanchez Rios, 34, both of Haverhill, shot in a parking lot near the club. They were taken to Lawrence General Hospital where Zuniga was pronounced dead. A hospital spokeswoman confirmed that Sanchez Rios was in stable condition yesterday afternoon.
Police said two suspects may have fled the scene in a car, but they had no other details. The double shooting, the fourth in Lawrence this year, is the latest in what police call a history of violence at Punto Final at the corner of Broadway and Tremont Street.
"This club has been a real problem for us for the last seven, eight years," said Chief John Romero. "There have been a number of violent incidents and shootings inside and outside the club."
Last month, Brian De Pena, 44, a businessman and cultural leader in the city, started the process of buying out the club and its owner, Juan Pascual. De Pena said he has taken over much of the club's operations, including hiring four security guards.
De Pena said there were no fights inside the club last night and that all patrons are checked for weapons. "But it's impossible to control what happens on the streets once people leave," he said.
Then here is an idea: SHUT DOWN the BARS!!!! Turn Massachusetts into a DRY STATE!! Bring back PROHIBITION!!!!! Why not? It would stop this sort of garbage!!!!
That's why I say SHUTTER 'EM UP!!!!!!
Romero said police have responded to Punto Final about 200 times since 1999 for various disturbances. The final straw came in June when the city moved to permanently revoke Punto Final's liquor license after Pascual's girlfriend stabbed his estranged wife three times.
Oh, what a nice crowd, huh? (Blog author just shaking his head)
Emboldened by the challenge, De Pena said he won't back down from his goal of turning the club around. --more--"
And how many more people have to die outside your den of immorality so you can make a buck, sir?
