New York, NY – A 32-year-old man was shot and killed in a Midtown after-hours strip club early Sunday morning, causing panic and chaos among patrons and women working at the club, according to the New York Police Department and witnesses at the scene.
The incident occurred around 5:30 a.m. at a building located at 355 Seventh Avenue in Koreatown.
Police found one victim with a gunshot wound to the head.
His name has not been released yet, pending notification of his family. No suspects have been identified, and as of now, no arrests have been made. Witnesses described a scene of intense fear, with women fleeing the venue and screaming.
According to the NY Post, a security guard working in a nearby building recounted, “Girls were naked, screaming, saying someone got killed. A lot of people ran into the store over there, getting dressed. They were naked.”
The building where the shooting took place is also home to “Foxy Fitness & Pole Training Studio,” which is listed as closing at 5 p.m.
The club operated just doors from the NYPD’s Citywide Traffic Task Force which has police officers and vehicles coming in and out all day long.
Police sources revealed that the location is also home to an illegal after-hours strip club which has a notorious reputation in the community.
The investigation is ongoing, with detectives collecting evidence from the crime scene, including a lone stiletto found on the sidewalk outside the venue. The incident has raised concerns about safety in the area, particularly given the club’s clandestine operation.