Pawtucket moves to shut down vibe lounge after latest shooting incident

PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND – The city of Pawtucket is moving to revoke the license of the Vibe Lounge after another serious incident occurred at the club.

Just before 01:00 am on Friday morning, Pawtucket Police officers were summoned to the vicinity of Broad and North Union Streets for a report of shots fired. Upon arrival, a male, age 32, was found with gunshot wounds on North Union Street outside the Vibe Lounge.

He was subsequently transported to an area hospital for treatment. Mutual aid was requested from surrounding police departments in an effort to maintain crowd control as well as the crime scene of the shooting outside the establishment. Order was maintained soon after and investigators from the Major Crime Unit were able to investigate. The case remains open and ongoing. The victim was last reported to have sustained non-life threatening injuries.

Today, acting Public Safety Director and Police Chief Tina Goncalves has declared Vibe Lounge a public nuisance through the authority vested in City Charter and Codified Ordinances/Law Chapter 290-3.The declaration comes as a response to the latest incident that required Pawtucket Police to respond to Vibe Lounge for a victim who was shot 5 times and was subsequently transported to an area hospital for treatment.

The case is currently under investigation by the Major Crime Unit.

The property has been deemed a menace to the public health, welfare, or safety’ through the numerous violations of covid-19 regulations in addition to the recent violent activities.

“This is the fifth major incident since February.“The City and Police Department always prioritize working with our local businesses to help them succeed in a safe environment,” said Acting Public Safety Director and Police Chief Tina Goncalves. “In this particular case, the business is directly affecting the surrounding neighborhood, and placing the public safety of our community in jeopardy.”

A special Pawtucket Board of License Commissioners hearing will be held.

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