Chaos erupted at a Decatur strip club early Sunday when gunfire injured multiple people, officials said. DeKalb County police charged two brothers, Trayvis and Trayquan Thurman, in connection with the shooting at Pin Ups, located in the Scottdale area at 2788 East Ponce de Leon Avenue. The violence, which claimed eight victims, assembled a large police presence at the scene shortly before 5 a.m., with horrifying footage of the aftermath circulating on social media.
Three individuals were found at the club with wounds, swiftly taken to the hospital, and reported to be stable, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. An additional five were also hospitalized, after being transported by third parties. Trayvis, 23, now faces six counts of aggravated assault and is in custody at DeKalb County Jail. His brother Trayquan, 21, recovering in the hospital, has been slapped with five counts of the same charge.
This incident marks the second shooting at Pin Ups this year alone, pointing to a disturbing trend of violence in local nightlife venues. A previous altercation on New Year's Day also led to gunfire, with one person getting shot in the leg just after the clock welcomed the new annum, reported Decaturish.
In the wake of the shooting, Pin Ups signaled business as usual by posting on Instagram, announcing their doors would be open on Sunday night despite the tragedy. The move echoes a city grappling with the throbbing pulse of nightlife entwined with the specter of gun violence. Aaliyah Strong, an advocate for survivors of gun violence, emphasized the accountability of venue owners following the violent incident. "If you’re not going to make it a point in the first priority to make your business safe, then you don’t need to be in business in Atlanta," she told FOX 5 Atlanta. "When you open an establishment, everything is your responsibility. From your security team to the time you close, every aspect."
The names of those injured in the recent gunfire at Pin Ups have not been released, and the DeKalb County Police's investigation into the motivations behind the argument that incited the shooting is ongoing.
