A man was killed, and three others were hurt in a shooting at a nightclub in Northeast D.C. late Saturday, police say.
The man killed in the shooting has been identified as Blake Bozeman, 31, of Southeast, D.C. Bozeman, a realtor, was once a star player on the basketball team at Morgan State University, notching his name in the record books several times from 2011-2015.
Someone opened fire at the Cru Hookah Lounge in the 1300 block of H Street NE just before midnight, the Metropolitan Police Department said.
The four victims, a woman and three men, were taken to the hospital. Bozeman died and the three others were expected to survive.
Police are looking for a suspect last seen wearing a black hoodie and fleeing west on H Street NE.
Morgan State University released a statement detailing Bozeman's remarkable history with the team. He played 123 games with the Bears and scored 183 3-pointers, the third-most of anyone in the team's history. Bozeman also gave back to people living with disabilities, including by volunteering with the Special Olympics.
"He was a shining example of what it means to be a student-athlete," Morgan State said.
"I just want people to know, you know, that he was … a great father, a great husband, a great family man. He was a great friend," Bozeman's friend Ralph Jennings told News4. "He was like a role model to me, you know what I'm saying? He was somebody that I wanted to be like, as far as having a family, taking care of responsibility and just having a foundation."
Jennings said Bozeman went to the Cru Hookah Lounge to celebrate a friend's birthday.
"I hope justice is served. I pray for my brother’s family and I pray for his wife," Jennings said.
Bozeman's father, Todd, was also a Morgan State legend. Todd was "the program’s winningest Division 1 coach in Morgan history," according to the statement.
Shooting brings crime concerns to the forefront
The shooting happened in the H Street Corridor’s arts district, which is anchored by the Atlas Performing Arts Center.
Steve Hessler is the co-owner of Gallery O on H. They’ve been in the space for 15 years and have a vision of an open-door place for everyone to take in the work of local artists.
“It was walkable, people would come in, we would have Art All Night, no problem,” Hessler said.
But he says something changed about the arts district – or maybe something didn’t develop. The bookstores, the flower shops and art stores that were expected are not there.
“The walkability of the street has changed. Is it zoning? I don’t know,” Hessler said.
What’s changed for Gallery O is the way the event space operates, tending toward the earlier hours, rather than later. Bookings are down, Hessler said.
“We are here, and we are dying,” he said.
Since the corridor finally recovered from riots in 1968, the vibe has been quintessentially urban.
For residents like Henry Hill, that’s the area’s blessing and its bane.
“It’s very lively, and that’s what I like,’ Hill said. “There are good people out there and there are bad people because they have all different type of people from all cultures. They are all living in D.C.”
Hill says he takes precautions.
“The greatest thing is to be alert, so I walk through them, I walk around them and I move on,” he said.
Advisory neighborhood commissioners for the area said the bars and restaurants along the corridor should be places of safe enjoyment.
A joint statement from the member districts expressed condolences to the victims and called on Mayor Muriel Bowser’s administration to come up with an action plan and strengthen gun laws.
“We also ask the owners and operators of Cru Lounge to immediately review their security plan,” it continued.
After the shooting, an orange sign was hung on the door of the bar. It said Cru Hookah Lounge was shut down until a hearing before the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board. Under D.C. law, bars can be temporarily closed if they are determined to be a threat to public safety.
"Dear Valued Customers & Community, we will be closed until further notice in grievance for those affected by last night's senseless violence," Cru Lounge wrote Sunday on Instagram.
