Man killed, 5 injured at strip club
Clarification: A story in the Metro section about a shooting at a Springfield strip club said that club manager Tony Long was at the club at the time of the attack. Tony Long said yesterday that he was "at work" but arrived at Club 418 "after the incident." He would not elaborate.
SPRINGFIELD - A 24-year-old man was arrested after he came out of a bathroom at a strip club yesterday and fired a gun, killing one man, and injured several others, police said.
A State Police community action team was on patrol near Club 418 on Worthington Street when troopers saw people streaming out of the building in panic.
Nearby, they encountered Marcus J. Blanton of Springfield, who allegedly tossed a handgun away as troopers approached him, said Springfield police Lieutenant John Bobianski.
Blanton is accused of shooting five people and stabbing a sixth during a 1:30 a.m. rampage at the club, Bobianski said. "He came out of the bathroom and just started shooting," he said.
Police said victims were taken to Baystate Medical Center, where a 23-year-old Springfield man was pronounced dead. The victims' names have not been released.
Blanton was charged with murder and assault with a dangerous weapon, among other crimes, Bobianski said.
Police do not know what prompted the shooting.
Adult entertainment venues in Springfield have been the scene of violence before.
Earlier this year a fight at Mardi Gras, not far from Club 418, resulted in the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old man, Bobianski said.
Club 418, a tiny venue open from noon to 2 a.m., has also apparently been the scene of previous problems. CBS 3 News Springfield reported that the club was put on probation and risked having its liquor license suspended after management failed to notify police of a fight between two exotic dancers during which one hit the other in the head with a stiletto heel.
A bouncer at the club referred media inquiries to a manager, Tony Long, who said in a telephone interview that he was at the club at the time of the attack, but would not comment. 