Uptown nightclubs increase security after deadly mass shooting

CHARLOTTE, N.C – Barricades now block the alley between College and 7th streets where six people were shot around 2 a.m. Sunday.

“I don’t come out at night. I know it’s a land of risk. Very risky,” Pablo Gonzales who lives in Charlotte said.

One teenager has now been charged with the murder of 37-year-old Arleigh Bryant and two adults are facing charges in connection to the shooting. Police are beefing up security in the area. In a social media post, LoveCLT says effectively immediately there will be no parking or traffic in the alley and more police in the area. Love is one of several clubs that share the alleyway where the shooting happened Sunday.

“This particular area has some properties that are not in use. There are some parking lots. There’s some areas where some people congregate,” Mike O’Sullivan who lives in Charlotte said. “So, I think that more patrols. I mean, that’s a part of it.”

Overall, CMPD says violent crime is down 8% over the last year, but back to back deadly shootings within a half mile of each other have some people cautious about nightlife in the Queen City.

“You have to be careful. You have to pay attention to being out at night, your surroundings, that kind of thing. It’s always been that way,” O’Sullivan said.

Seven guns were seized at the scene of the mass shooting Sunday. CMPD says they will keep working to make Uptown safer for all people visiting at any time.

“It’s a continuous evaluation of providing safety and security without overwhelming people with safety and security,” Deputy Chief Ryan Butler from CMPD said.