Petaluma venue bans some hip-hop concerts after gunfire at parking garage leaves 2 patrons injured
By LAURA NORTON & CLARK MASON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Tuesday, December 9, 2008 at 4:20 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, December 9, 2008 at 4:20 a.m.
The curtain has closed for "hyphy" and "thizz" teen shows at Petaluma's Phoenix Theater following a chaotic shooting scene after a concert Saturday night.
"First and foremost we are a teen center," said Amber Faur, a member of the Phoenix Theater's board of directors. "Ensuring that we're a safe venue is paramount to anything that we do."
Faur said that hyphy shows, which feature an upbeat fast form of hip-hop music and exaggerated dancing, does not fit that criteria, and will no longer be offered at the theater.
Saturday's shooting in a parking garage sent two young men to the hospital with gunshot wounds that were not life-threatening.
"We want to make sure that performers really reflect values for our kids; what matters is that they promote a culture that's positive for the youth," Faur said. "Hyphy is so heavily embedded with the drug culture that we can't promote that."
Theater manager Tom Gaffey and Petaluma Police Sgt. Andrew Urton said the shooting at the Keller Street garage followed an argument between two groups of people at the nearby theater during a hyphy concert.
"It sounds like what ended up happening is an argument between two parties in the concert itself. When the concert let out, it continued in the parking garage between groups of individuals. At that point, the shooting occurred," Urton said.
The shooting, just before midnight Saturday night, was not gang-related, he said.
Conditions of the two wounded men, whom Petaluma Police have not identified, were not available Monday night. Petaluma police said their investigation was ongoing.
Gaffey said maximum security measures were in place for the concert, which featured several artists performing hyphy. "It wasn't a big show," he said. "Only about 350 or 360 people, and everyone was well behaved until the end."
Gaffey said a fight broke out between four or five young men as the last act was finishing. They were escorted out of the theater and to their cars by Gaffey and security guards.
"It was going the textbook way of how we thought we should do it," Gaffey said. "We got them in cars, and it seemed like that was it."
But before security crews made it back to the theater, shots rang out, Gaffey said.
Officers on foot patrol were only a block away and rushed to the garage when they heard the gunfire. The shots echoing in the parking structure caused pandemonium.
"At the time, it was obviously chaotic. Approximately 50 people were fleeing," Urton said.
Police officers found the wounded men, summoned medical help and also locked down the parking structure in an attempt to locate witnesses and suspects.
Urton was unable to say if there was more than one gunman, and Petaluma police are seeking witnesses.
This is the second gun-related incident involving Phoenix Theater hyphy concerts this year.
In January, police arrested a Concord 17-year-old who they said was kicked out of the theater and retrieved a gun from his car. Police said he was carrying a loaded 9 mm pistol when they chased him down outside the club.
After the incident, Phoenix managers said they would increase security at future rap shows and would consider booking similar shows on a case-by-case basis.
The Theater's board of director's meets Thursday at 7 p.m. at the theater and will discuss the shooting, Faur said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Aaron Garihan at 778-4372.
You can reach Staff Writer Laura Norton at 521-5220 or laura.norton@pressdemocrat
.com.
By LAURA NORTON & CLARK MASON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Tuesday, December 9, 2008 at 4:20 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, December 9, 2008 at 4:20 a.m.
The curtain has closed for "hyphy" and "thizz" teen shows at Petaluma's Phoenix Theater following a chaotic shooting scene after a concert Saturday night.
"First and foremost we are a teen center," said Amber Faur, a member of the Phoenix Theater's board of directors. "Ensuring that we're a safe venue is paramount to anything that we do."
Faur said that hyphy shows, which feature an upbeat fast form of hip-hop music and exaggerated dancing, does not fit that criteria, and will no longer be offered at the theater.
Saturday's shooting in a parking garage sent two young men to the hospital with gunshot wounds that were not life-threatening.
"We want to make sure that performers really reflect values for our kids; what matters is that they promote a culture that's positive for the youth," Faur said. "Hyphy is so heavily embedded with the drug culture that we can't promote that."
Theater manager Tom Gaffey and Petaluma Police Sgt. Andrew Urton said the shooting at the Keller Street garage followed an argument between two groups of people at the nearby theater during a hyphy concert.
"It sounds like what ended up happening is an argument between two parties in the concert itself. When the concert let out, it continued in the parking garage between groups of individuals. At that point, the shooting occurred," Urton said.
The shooting, just before midnight Saturday night, was not gang-related, he said.
Conditions of the two wounded men, whom Petaluma Police have not identified, were not available Monday night. Petaluma police said their investigation was ongoing.
Gaffey said maximum security measures were in place for the concert, which featured several artists performing hyphy. "It wasn't a big show," he said. "Only about 350 or 360 people, and everyone was well behaved until the end."
Gaffey said a fight broke out between four or five young men as the last act was finishing. They were escorted out of the theater and to their cars by Gaffey and security guards.
"It was going the textbook way of how we thought we should do it," Gaffey said. "We got them in cars, and it seemed like that was it."
But before security crews made it back to the theater, shots rang out, Gaffey said.
Officers on foot patrol were only a block away and rushed to the garage when they heard the gunfire. The shots echoing in the parking structure caused pandemonium.
"At the time, it was obviously chaotic. Approximately 50 people were fleeing," Urton said.
Police officers found the wounded men, summoned medical help and also locked down the parking structure in an attempt to locate witnesses and suspects.
Urton was unable to say if there was more than one gunman, and Petaluma police are seeking witnesses.
This is the second gun-related incident involving Phoenix Theater hyphy concerts this year.
In January, police arrested a Concord 17-year-old who they said was kicked out of the theater and retrieved a gun from his car. Police said he was carrying a loaded 9 mm pistol when they chased him down outside the club.
After the incident, Phoenix managers said they would increase security at future rap shows and would consider booking similar shows on a case-by-case basis.
The Theater's board of director's meets Thursday at 7 p.m. at the theater and will discuss the shooting, Faur said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Aaron Garihan at 778-4372.
You can reach Staff Writer Laura Norton at 521-5220 or laura.norton@pressdemocrat
.com.
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