Kamenetz Reaction to Shooting at CVP 'Consistent' But Restrained

A shooting outside the Charles Village Pub in Towson is not drawing the same ire from County Executive Kevin Kamenetz as a brawl outside another Towson watering hole attracted in September.

"I have consistently stated that the owner of a liquor establishment, a bar, have the responsibility for their patrons after they leave the building," said Kamenetz.

Francis Minsung Kang, 26, of the unit block of Brook Farm Court in Cockeysville was charged early Sunday with attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault and use of a handgun in committing a felony.

Kang was leaving the Charles Village Pub when he allegedly threw a bottle of Gatorade at a woman and a fight ensued. He pulled out a handgun and fired five shots into a crowd, striking one man in the hand, according to police.

Kamenetz's reaction was a toned down version of comments made in September when he was asked about a brawl outside the Recher Theatre in Towson.

"I really lay the blame on one particular operator here who delegated responsibility to some third-party promoter and I've got a real problem with that because they have a liquor license and they have responsibility to maintain not only order within their premises but those who are outside their premises who are there because of the event they are promoting," Kamenetz said during a Sept. 25 news conference.

But in November, the County Board of Liquor License Commissioners ruled that Brian and Scott Recher were not responsible for the melee. A spokesman for the county executive downplayed the earlier comments and called the owners "good corporate citizens" and said the Kamenetz wanted to "move forward."

Speaking Monday, Kamenetz said the liquor board would have the option to review the Charles Village Pub incident after police complete their investigation.

Kamenetz said "the question for the liquor board, after any of these types of circumstances is not did the incident occur inside or outside the premises but also was this person intoxicated and obviously the suggestion in both of those incidents was that they were intoxicated, which goes back to the liquor board's oversight of that licensee."

Police Chief Jim Johnson downplayed suggestions that Towson is becoming more violent after the incidents outside the Recher Theatre and Charles Village Pub.

"Violent crime in the Towson area has been declining for several years," Johnson said.

"Certainly when you have bars and restaurants, you have alcohol and you happen to have someone who happens to have a handgun you have this sort of tragedy that takes place," Johnson said, adding that the shooting incident Sunday is an argument against expanding rights to carry concealed weapons.

"There's campaigns all across Maryland and frankly national campaigns for the right to carry," Johnson said at a Monday news conference calling for stricter gun laws in the wake of the shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, CT. "This is a great example why that's not a good idea. The guy had half a load on, drinking at a location all night long and he happened to have a handgun permit. He was unlawful. He shouldn't have had that gun at that location. It was only for his business that he owns but yet he chose to pull that out and use it because he felt he was losing ground some how."