Club Memories shut down by temporary restraining order
A Hattiesburg nightclub has been shut down in the face of increasing security concerns following two on-site homicides.
According to a news release from 12th Circuit Court District Attorney Patricia Burchell, Chancery Judge Johnny L. Williams signed a temporary restraining order Thursday afternoon against Club Memories, 1720 N. 31st Ave.
The news release states Burchell consulted with Mayor Johnny DuPree and Hattiesburg Police Department Chief Anthony Parker, and later filed a petition requesting the order "due to the repeated dangerous and violent activities occurring on the premises of Club Memories, including two murders within the last six months."
The document goes on to say, "Burchell brought this action to protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the City of Hattiesburg and Forrest County."
A hearing will take place in front of Williams at 1:30 p.m. Dec. 17 to determine if and when the club will reopen.
Concerns over the safety at Club Memories were intensified after the Dec. 6 shooting death of Kenneth Smith, 36, of Purvis, who was shot in the abdomen after an altercation in the club's parking lot. Smith was transported to a local hospital, where he later died of his injuries.
That incident was preceded by the July shooting death of Jabarri Goudy, 17, of Collins. Goudy also was shot in the parking lot and later died at Forrest General Hospital.
Goudy's mother, Montoyia McInnis, was present Thursday to watch officials lock up the building. McInnis said she'd heard previous talk about getting the club shut down and wanted to show up to see it actually happen.
“It’s only a small part of justice — because shutting that club down will never bring my baby back," she said. "But if you’re a business owner, you handle your business. It’s how you handle security.
"My son was 17 and he was not carded or ID’d. If you carded him, you would’ve known he was 17. As a club owner, you failed my baby."
Four suspects were arrested in Smith's death, while five were arrested in connection with Goudy's death.
Calls to Club Memories were not returned Thursday.
The restraining order by Williams isn't the first time Hattiesburg officials have stepped in on nightclub matters.
In 2010, Mayor Johnny DuPree tried to shut down Remington's Hunt Club, formerly located on North 31st Avenue, by suspending its operating license following a shooting that left three Southern Miss football players injured. In March 2011, Burchell sought an injunction to close the club following a shooting the previous month in the parking lot that left a Laurel man injured.
The Hunt Club eventually reopened, but by May 2012, owners of the club filed bankruptcy and permanently closed the establishment.