Update: Residents Speak Out About Playhouse Lounge Shooting

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- A drive-by shooting early Sunday morning sent four people to the hospital.

It happened in the 4000 block of Bonny Oaks drive.

The victims are identified as 23-year-old Dereck Strickland, 18-year-old Devin Brown, 31-year-old Otis Franklin, and 18-year-old William Wright.

Police say they believe the shooting was gang-related.

It was nearly four o’ clock in the morning, when the shooting happened, according to surveillance footage released exclusively to News 12.

The parking lot was full from people at the playhouse lounge when all of a sudden people started ducking for cover when the shots were fired.

At the request of our source, we blurred out this portion of the video where you can see one man point a gun, and fire back at the drive- by shooters.

Now just a day later residents are speaking out saying violence like this doesn’t usually happen in this area.

Orlando Bulloch who is a long time resident says,”I think you know when you open up a club or a bar in this setting that there can be problems.”

The property spokesperson stated,  “I think this was a random thing and it certainly won’t happen on this property again.”

Speaking with the spokesperson for the property owners we learned that the tenant only had leased the property 6-months before the shooting.

It was originally pitched to the owners that this space was to be be used as spoken word club and to not be open after 3 a.m.

According to survelliance video, however, that was not the case.

The spokesperson, who does not want to be identified says that the shooting may not have happened if the Playhouse Lounge wasn’t open so late.

“We were totally unaware that the this tenant kept her business open that late and most definitely that was a contributing factor,” says the spokesperson.

She also went on the say that the owner also didn’t know about the liquor sales. She says that was not a part of the original lease agreement.

Police spokesman Rob Simmons says that, “The regulatory Bureau has opened an investigation into several potential beer board violations which were uncovered due to this incident.”

The Playhouse Lounge operator was not available for comment.

We’re told that the property owner is currently in contact with a lawyer to evict the operator of the playhouse lounge.

The investigation is still ongoing and we will update you as more information is released.