Man shot at Hustler Club in Baltimore
BALTIMORE — A man was hospitalized after he was shot in the leg at a nightclub on "The Block" in downtown Baltimore overnight, police said.
Officers responded at 1:30 a.m. to the stretch of strip clubs and bars in the 400 block of E. Baltimore Street, where they found the victim, a 33-year-old man, on the second floor of the building.
The man was rushed to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
"I don't know what to say, man. It's sad. I don't go in these clubs down here," Glenn Ford, who works nearby, said Friday. "That's why I just go to work, go home, and pray every day. All we can do is pray, man."
WJZ has learned the shooting occurred in Larry Flynt's Hustler Club, which was the scene of another shooting nearly a year ago, in February.
Police arrested 29-year-old Jamar Beckford in connection with the shooting on June 1, 2022, according to a spokesperson for the police department.
The Block has been the site of a slew of shootings.
In 2021, State Sen. Bill Ferguson introduced a bill last January that would have required businesses on "The Block" with liquor or adult entertainment licenses to close their doors by 10 p.m.
That proposal sparked almost-immediate backlash from business owners, who said the curfew would impact their bottom line and threaten their ability to make a living.
The business owners eventually reached an agreement with city and state officials that didn't involve closing early or paying to shore up police presence in the area.
The business owners told WJZ last year they agreed to have cameras outside their establishments and to make that footage available to police, along with metal detectors or wands in place at the door. The businesses also agreed to have their private security or doormen in communication with officers.
"Our detectives will go out and do what they always do—go out and track these folks, find these folks, get information from our residents, doing the great work they do in the Baltimore Police Department," Mayor Brandon Scott told WJZ Friday. "There's always a presence on the block from law enforcement. We know the issues that have been there for many, many, many, many, many generations. Everywhere in Baltimore where we have those issues, we'll make sure the resources are there."
Friday morning's shooting is the second shooting at the Hustler Club in less than a year. A 42-year-old man was shot multiple times on Feb. 27, 2022 at the club.
Anyone who has information about the shooting is asked to contact detectives at 410-396-2411. Those who wish to remain anonymous should utilize the Metro Crime Stoppers tip line at 1-866-7LOCK-UP.