Todd Paris, Staff Writer and Salisbury Attorney/RFP Staff
♦ Mayor Karen Alexander is an owner of Council Street Commons at 118 East Council Street. She operates KKA Architecture on the part of the building facing the street and leases the basement, which faces the F&M Bank Trolley Barn. The basement is occupied by “King Tut’s Café and Hookah Lounge,” a fine establishment I’ve visited a few times. The owner is a swell guy. Next door to Karen’s and the Hookah is a parking lot behind 120 East Council. It’s very convenient for parking for visitors to several different venues. The owner of the hookah lounge is very fastidious about cleaning this lot at closing, unless like last night the police crime scene tape prevented him from doing so.
The City of Salisbury was unusually quiet about this shooting, even refusing to comment to their regular media sources. A twitter conversation between WBTV Reporter, David Whisenant and the Salisbury Post’s Josh Bergeron is attached. The RFP sincerely hopes that the fact that this shooting emanated from Mayor Alexander’s building and the fact it was shot up did not cause yet another “steel wall of secrecy” to descend upon our troubled city.
Updated – after enormous media pressure, Salisbury City Hall issued a press release around 4:21 p.m. today:
On Sunday January 22, 2017 at 1:51 a.m. Salisbury Police responded to multiple shots being fired in the area of the King Tut Hookah Bar at 5 Easy St. Upon arrival, officers encountered a large crowd leaving from several parking lots around the bar. A short time later they received word that there were three victims’ at the emergency room at Novant Rowan Regional Medical Center. Two were being treated for gunshot wounds that were non-life threatening. The third victim had injuries to his head from being hit with a gun and also grazed from a gunshot. His injuries were also non-life threatening. Officers from other Rowan County agencies assisted with the large crowd. According to witnesses there were arguments that started in the bar that ended in a fight in the parking lot and the exchange of multiple gunshots. The incident is still under investigation. No arrests have been made.
Lest the City of Salisbury’s infamous on-line propaganda tool, “The Rumor Control Page” claim that this never happened and that RFP photo-shopped the pics I went back to the crime scene this morning. The side wall of Mayor Alexander’s building is “bullet-riddled”. I counted roughly a dozen bullet strikes in the wall and a window into King Tut’s was shot as well. Yet another bullet was fired into The Heritage Room on the main floor. RFP Crime scene photos are attached. The Heritage Room widow that was pierced a has a window opposite facing the F&M Building that was not pierced, which means there is likely a projectile laying in the floor. Hopefully, this valuable piece of evidence was recovered.
An unconfirmed post on nextdoor.com was sent to us, but the time is wrong and we can’t confirm that 911 told anyone this. It is published for the purpose of illustrating the type of fear that exists in Salisbury these days. If anyone has information about window’s being shot out in the wee hours of the morning, (other that Mayor Alexander’s) please contact me and we will investigate.
Diana Sainz, Brooklyn South/Square
GUN SHOTS – Rounds of them at 1:30am near downtown. I heard 3 or for single shots then a round of continuous non-stop what seemed like 7 or 8 shots. Called 911. Many officers called in.
911 dispatched asked if I would like to speak with an officer. I stated yes, I would like to know what is going on. She proceeded to tell me a car was driving by shooting into homes, to stay in my house and away from windows.
Not happy, this is not anyway of living… in fear!
Jan 21 in General to 12 neighborhoods
TWEETS from David and Josh:
Daylight Photos of the Aftermath of Sunday Morning’s Downtown Salisbury Gun Battle on E. Council Street
