The exterior of the restaurant Reign on Washington Avenue in 50度灰视频 on Oct. 19, 2020. Photo by Cheyenne Boone, cboone@post-dispatch.com
Post-Dispatch
Officers investigate a shooting scene where four people were shot outside of Reign at the 1100 block of Washington Avenue in 50度灰视频 on Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020. Photo by Cheyenne Boone, cboone@post-dispatch.com
ST. LOUIS 鈥 A downtown nightspot that the city shut down on Oct. 1 is facing fresh scrutiny after police responded to a gathering there Friday.
Public Safety Director Dan Isom said on Monday that about 16 to 20 鈥測oung people鈥 were at Reign Restaurant, 1122 Washington Avenue, about 8 p.m. Friday night. They cooperated when police bike patrols shut down the event. Reign鈥檚 owner was not present at the time, Isom said, and no arrests were made or summonses issued.
鈥淩eign currently has no liquor license,鈥 Isom said. 鈥淭he business has been posted with a nuisance abatement order, and the business has no occupancy license.鈥
Isom added that the 鈥渃ity counselor鈥檚 office is evaluating next steps鈥 in the wake of Friday鈥檚 incident.
On Oct. 1, the city called Reign 鈥a threat to public safety鈥 and ordered it shuttered for a year after months of complaints from residents and reports of shootings. It gave the business a month to vacate its premises.
Reign鈥檚 attorney has said the city is unfairly targeting the nightclub and blaming it for any crime in the vicinity.
Reign鈥檚 troubles stretch back to August 2020, when the city closed it for ignoring masking and social distancing orders. The city shut it down again in October of last year. And in December, four people were shot outside the nightclub.
More people were shot outside the club in August; a fight on St. Charles Street erupted in gunfire in September.
Officers investigate a shooting scene where four people were shot outside of Reign at the 1100 block of Washington Avenue in 50度灰视频 on Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020. Photo by Cheyenne Boone, cboone@post-dispatch.com