GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.- Police have been called to Latvian Hall seven times this year, and one woman who was at a party there during Saturday night’s shooting describes it as “the wild wild west.”
“I didn’t want to get trapped in the building with multiple shooters,” the woman told us. We’re concealing her identity for safety reasons.
She says security was very relaxed and they were letting whoever they wanted in without searching them.
The man who rented the hall for the night says there were four professional security guards at the party.
The witness we spoke with say the average age was 18-21-years-old. Police say the fights from Latvian Hall continued after partygoers left and resulted in 21-year-old Andre Davis being shot and killed.
“There were a lot of young kids I was worried about,” she told us. “I noticed a fight starting to break out so I kind of stepped back so I wouldn’t be trampled on and as soon as I took a step back, that’s when I saw the flash from the gunfire.”
The man who rented Latvian Hall says the party was private, but party fliers say tickets were available at the door. Partygoers say they say people at the door taking cash.
Our witness says there were at least seven shooters inside the hall. Police tell us the gunfire continued outside .
“Police were just as amazed as I was,” the witness said. “I would assume once they saw police presence that it would die down.”
The party flier says “Callin’ All Bad Girls” but the man who rented the hall says the parties theme was to change and encourage growth in the community.
The Latvian Association of Grand Rapids owns the building and says they will be holding a board meeting to discuss having closer control of renters.
Anyone with information on the shootings at the hall or the murder of Andre Davis should call the Grand Rapids Police Department (616) 456-3604 or Silent Observer (616) 774-2345.
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