EAST ST. LOUIS, IL (KTVI - FOX2now.com) -
Two people are dead after another night of violence near East St. Louis night clubs. The mayor has ordered all clubs and liquor stores to stop selling alcohol after 1:00am. The mother of one of victims says that's not a solution. Terrell Seay, 29, was celebrating a friend's birthday at Club 2151. He was shot to death during a fight outside around 2:00am Saturday.
Pamela Seay-Crosby is Terrell's mom, "They can't bring him back. Most of the people who are getting killed, they have mothers and families and they have to deal with this."
Including the family of a man killed outside the City Nights club. Anthony Rice, 23, of Bethalto was run over by a car after a fight broke out. Two people were reportedly shot and wounded near Etta's Bar and Grill the night before.
Mayor Alvin Parks suspended the liquor licenses of all three clubs and halted liquor sales city-wide after 1:00am. The Casino Queen is exempt.
Seay-Crosby says, "You should be able to go somewhere and have a nice drink and laugh and talk with your friends." Seay's mother says tighter security would be more effective than restricting liquor sales.
Former East St. Louis Mayor Carl Officer has made similar recommendations in the past, "I think we could also insist that these places have police officers, uniformed licensed police officers, security guards, instead of your cousin or my friend being a security officer."
The owner of one of the clubs says his club is not a contributor to the violence, it's a victim of it. Etta's Bar & Grill owner Daryl Coleman explains, "I get blamed for everything that goes on around here."
Etta's has bullet holes in the windows from a gunfight. The Coleman says it happened a block away, long after Etta's closed, "We heard some shots, we get behind, a bunch of shots. As you see over here, if you point the camera this way, there's a car hit on this side and a car hit on this side. I think we got hit by stray bullets."
Officer adds, "I find it difficult to envision in my own mind why we say to him he has to close at 1:00 a.m. and the casino gets to stay open until 6:00 a.m. That's unfair."
But for now, at least, it's the law. Mayor Parks has scheduled license hearings for club owners this week and a mandatory meeting on the issue Wednesday. Police took a person of interest into custody for the shooting of Terrell Seay. They are still looking for suspects in all of the other cases.
Anyone with information on either of these two deaths is urged to call the East St. Louis Police Department at 618-482-6700 or CrimeStoppers at 866-371-8477. You do not have to leave your name.
Pamela Seay-Crosby is Terrell's mom, "They can't bring him back. Most of the people who are getting killed, they have mothers and families and they have to deal with this."
Including the family of a man killed outside the City Nights club. Anthony Rice, 23, of Bethalto was run over by a car after a fight broke out. Two people were reportedly shot and wounded near Etta's Bar and Grill the night before.
Mayor Alvin Parks suspended the liquor licenses of all three clubs and halted liquor sales city-wide after 1:00am. The Casino Queen is exempt.
Seay-Crosby says, "You should be able to go somewhere and have a nice drink and laugh and talk with your friends." Seay's mother says tighter security would be more effective than restricting liquor sales.
Former East St. Louis Mayor Carl Officer has made similar recommendations in the past, "I think we could also insist that these places have police officers, uniformed licensed police officers, security guards, instead of your cousin or my friend being a security officer."
The owner of one of the clubs says his club is not a contributor to the violence, it's a victim of it. Etta's Bar & Grill owner Daryl Coleman explains, "I get blamed for everything that goes on around here."
Etta's has bullet holes in the windows from a gunfight. The Coleman says it happened a block away, long after Etta's closed, "We heard some shots, we get behind, a bunch of shots. As you see over here, if you point the camera this way, there's a car hit on this side and a car hit on this side. I think we got hit by stray bullets."
Officer adds, "I find it difficult to envision in my own mind why we say to him he has to close at 1:00 a.m. and the casino gets to stay open until 6:00 a.m. That's unfair."
But for now, at least, it's the law. Mayor Parks has scheduled license hearings for club owners this week and a mandatory meeting on the issue Wednesday. Police took a person of interest into custody for the shooting of Terrell Seay. They are still looking for suspects in all of the other cases.
Anyone with information on either of these two deaths is urged to call the East St. Louis Police Department at 618-482-6700 or CrimeStoppers at 866-371-8477. You do not have to leave your name.
