Maplewood City Council Votes To Temporarily Close Stargate Nightclub
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Maplewood City Council voted Wednesday to temporarily close Stargate Nightclub.
The vote comes after a shooting over the weekend that left five people injured.
City council members say they heard from many people in Maplewood, St. Paul and Roseville who want to see the club shut down.
Maplewood Police Chief Paul Schnell says the owner and manager of Stargate Nightclub have demonstrated "an inability to restore order to the property."
"In order to restore order, it's necessary that Stargate cease all business operations pending city-verified implementation of a range of requirements," Schnell said.
The temporary shutdown of Stargate comes after a weekend shooting where more than 70 shots were fired and five people were hurt.
Schnell says the gunfire came from multiple guns. The first shot was fired inside the club and the rest in the parking lot.
He listed a number of conditions in order for Stargate to re-open, including additional security guards inside and out, as well as fixing fire, health and safety code violations.
"Many people just want Stargate shut down once and for all, but the simple fact is we are not legally able to do so," said Mayor Nora Slawik. "The club's ownership has rights and we have to respect their rights throughout this process."
Club Manager Marsea Xiong asked for the council to allow Stargate to remain open so they can make money to be able to afford making the required changes. But her husband, club owner Paul Xiong, says he has had enough.
"Let's close the club down because this business is a lot of mess and we need to close it," Xiong said. "I don't want this business. It's a lot of headache. I might have a heart attack at the place, you know. It's done, I don't want it."
The city council will meet again Monday to discuss the status of Stargate's liquor license.