Pawtucket: Vibe Lounge Shut Down Following Shooting

PAWTUCKET, RI —The Vibe Lounge and Hookah Bar must close for now following an early Friday shooting outside the establishment.

The Pawtucket City Council held an emergency meeting Saturday and voted to keep the Broad Street bar closed until the council can conduct a hearing at their regular meeting next month.

Pawtucket Police Chief and acting public safety director Tina Goncalves on Friday declared the venue “a public nuisance.” She has the authority to do that through the city charter and a local ordinance. The property has been declared a "menace to the public health, welfare or safety."

In a press release, Goncalves said it's the fifth violent incident at the bar since February. She also said the club has repeatedly violated the state’s COVID-19 rules.

On April 23 just before 1 a.m., Pawtucket Police found a 32-year-old man with five gunshot wounds to the torso. He was lying on North Union Street outside the Vibe Lounge. Police struggled with crowd control as many people gathered on the street. Police say the victim is expected to survive. The Major Crime Unit is investigating.

Goncalves says the city and police department generally strive to work with local businesses, but in this case, the business is directly affecting the surrounding neighborhood and placing the public safety of the community in jeopardy.

Attorney Peter Petrarca, representing the Vibe Lounge, said his client will voluntarily close pending a hearing on May 11 at 6 p.m.

Police Captain David Holden wrote a letter to the Pawtucket Board of License Commissioners. The club’s Class B liquor license is at stake.