By james art BATON ROUGE — Multiple people were injured and one person was killed after a shooting outside a nightclub concert early Sunday morning. One of the owners of the restaurant spoke to WBRZ on Monday, saying the people involved in the shooting were not customers of his business.
Derrick Brown co-owns Sunrise All Entertainment Event Center off Greenwell Springs Road. He said they usually open at 1am and close around 5am. On Sunday, they organized a concert at the venue.
At 3:45 a.m. on Sunday, shots rang out in the parking lot. Six people were taken to hospitals with gunshot wounds, and one of them, 35-year-old Dexter Cormier, died.
Brown said the shooting happened suddenly.
“It wasn’t an argument – that’s the job. They just went shooting,” he said.
Brown said he takes security seriously and takes measures to try to protect people.
“We always have four to five cops here – Baton Rouge police officers. They are paid employees, as are eight security guards,” Brown said. “The officers were parked all over the parking lot.”
He said he was disappointed by the damage to his business reputation.
“I don’t understand. Anyone who walks in here knows that once they walk through the doors, they’re in for a good time.”
Two men, Michael Robinson, 24, and Tyrell Hamilton, 30, were arrested in connection with the shooting. On Monday, Robinson was arraigned on first-degree murder, five counts of attempted murder, possession of a firearm by a felon and unlawful use of a weapon. Hamilton was tried for obstruction of justice.
Brown said the shooters were not customers and never entered the establishment.
“Everybody here wants to pimp in the parking lot,” Brown said. “You’re all going to have to get your lives together.”