Hookah bar shooting makes Levy Church prophetic
- Apr 4, 2008 - comment
Last July, Levy Church of North Little Rock tried to warn the community trouble was brewing with the opening of a hookah bar across the parking lot from the church.
Now, Steven Tiner, pastor, and his members seem prophetic. Just after midnight March 2, an argument broke out in the After Night Hookah Café, resulting in gunfire that wounded four people, shattered the glass front door and riddled the front of the building with bullet holes. Parked cars also were hit.
More than 40 people were at the bar when the shooting began, according to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.
“The very fears we had of this place have now come true,” Tiner said. “I just spoke with Alderman Cary Gaines (a member of the Levy church) and an eviction notice is being served to the owners today. It has been declared a public nuisance by the City of North Little Rock.”
Tiner said when he arrived at the church at 6:30 a.m. Sunday, the church parking lot was completely barricaded by police tape.
“I called Sgt. Larry Dancy with the North Little Rock Police Department and a member of our church asked for his help on getting the tape lifted for Sunday services as we had nowhere else to park all the vehicles. He did get this accomplished for us.”
Alderman Gaines said the eviction notice was being served March 3.
“I’m pleased,” Tiner said. “This is exactly what we feared would happen. They’ve only been open two months, so it shows that the church was correct.”
He said establishments such as this invite crime.
The first policeman to arrive on the scene after the shooting began saw a man with a gun in the parking lot and shot him, according to the Democrat Gazette. The man was critically injured and three others were wounded but their wounds were not life threatening.
Last summer, members of Levy Church fought approval of a liquor license for which the hookah bar owners had applied.
Tiner noted the church helps people fight alcohol addiction, therefore, they opposed alcohol being served on their doorstep.
The hookah cafe/bar included pool tables, dancers and singers. A hookah is a multi-stemmed, often glass-based water pipe device for smoking substances such as herbal fruits and tobacco.
The owners agreed to withdraw the liquor license application after Tiner and others met with them.
“However, they have continued to serve alcohol without a permit,” Tiner said. “Our church dumpster has been filled many times with alcohol bottles, and minors have been seen going in and out of the facility.”
Last summer, Tiner also had contacted the state Alcoholic Beverage Control’s Administration Division to express the church’s concerns, but learned that state alcohol regulations do not prohibit a bar near a church. State law only prohibits a liquor store from being located near a church.
Tiner is sorry it took four people being wounded to shut down the establishment, but he is pleased the hookah bar is being evicted.
This article is reprinted from the March 20, 2008, issue of the Arkansas Baptist News, the newsjournal of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention.
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