New Haven city leaders spoke out Monday at the re-opening of a strip club where five people were injured and one person was killed in a shooting last October.
The Key Club Cabaret re-opened Monday afternoon under the name Primo. The club had been shut down since October 26th, when police say Adrian “Bread” Bennett opened fire on a crowd. 26-year-old Erika Robinson, from West Haven, was killed. Bennett was arrested on murder and first degree assault charges.
“Obviously, the family was devastated. They are outraged that this club was able to open under a new name,” Robinson’s cousin Shafiq Abdussabur said Monday.
New Haven Mayor Toni Harp and Police Chief Dean Esserman held a press conference calling for the Department of Consumer Protection to suspend the clubs liquor license, citing numerous violations of liquor statutes.
“I’m very concerned that we have the remedies at the Commissioner’s disposal and that he is not taking those remedies into consideration,” Harp said.
Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner William Rubenstein responded in a statement saying that DCP established a security plan with the club. That plan includes extra cameras, pat downs at the door, and hiring off-duty New Haven Police officers, Rubenstein said.