Kansas City nightclub beset by shootings and violence has liquor license revoked
Citing a pattern of violence that included a Jan. 19 mass shooting that left two people dead and 15 injured, the Kansas City Liquor Control Board of Review revoked the liquor license for the 9ine Ultra Lounge on Wednesday.
“It was important for me to get the revocation,” said Jim Ready, manager of the city’s regulated industries. “I thought the property owners who had gone through all of that should have the right to decide if a liquor license is going to come back in that area or not.”
The club, located in the 4900 block of Noland Road, has been the scene of repeated gun violence since it opened in July 2019. The owner, Alphonso Hodge, had advertised and promoted events at the club such as “Sold Out Sundays,” after Kansas City Chiefs’ games.
Among other things, Ready said the club had failed to provide proper security. As a result, a pattern of violent crime, thefts and assaults developed at the night club.
Raeven Parks, 25, was struck and killed when gunfire erupted at the club on Jan. 19. Fifteen others were wounded when a man started firing into a line of people waiting to get inside. A security guard at the club fatally shot the gunman, Jahron Swift, 29.
A week prior to that shooting, there was a drive-by shooting at the club. But the pattern of violence continued when it reopened after being closed for several months.
On Aug. 30 four people were shot after an argument that started inside the nightclub spilled into the parking lot. Police said multiple shooters fired dozens of rounds, wounding several people.
Later that month, city officials alerted Hodge that it would seek to revoke the club’s liquor license.
A man who said he was wounded in that shooting filed a civil lawsuit against Hodge in October for failing to provide security and operating the business in an unsafe manner.
On Wednesday, Ready said that Hodge failed to meet probationary guidelines. Hodge did not submit the required number of consent forms to retain the club’s liquor license.
“He did not attend the hearing today and unless we hear otherwise, the revocation is going to stand and that will be the end of it,” Ready said.
The review board unanimously agreed to uphold the city’s recommendation.
Hodge would have to reapply for a liquor license if he wanted to open a nightclub at another location in Kansas City.
The club on Noland Road could possibly reopen under a different owner, but would need to get the consent from other tenants in the shopping center, Ready said.
“I am not going to predict what would happen but I know they are going to remember the location and I think that’ll really grab their attention and decide if we want to give another liquor license to someone else or not,” he said.
There have been 161 homicides in Kansas City’s 161st so far this year, according to data kept by The Star, which includes police shootings. That compares to 126 homicides reported by this time in 2019.
Gun violence will be the subject of a new, statewide journalism project The Star is undertaking in Missouri this year in partnership with the national service program Report for America and sponsored in part by Missouri Foundation for Health. As part of this project, The Star will seek the community’s help.
To contribute, visit Report for America online at reportforamerica.org.
This story was originally published November 4, 2020 at 11:51 AM.