The Avalon nightclub, a once bustling spot in downtown Columbus, has been ordered to shut its doors for an entire year by the Franklin County Environmental Court. After a series of violent incidents, including a double murder, the club's continuous disregard for court orders and repeated instances of criminal activity led to this drastic measure. Columbus City Attorney's Office confirmed that the Avalon has been a locus of 78 police calls in the past months, ranging from shootings to assaults, according to NBC4i. These calls included a heinous double murder on June 14th, in which Desmond Taylor, 27, and Ceilin Richard Peaks Smith, 36, lost their lives in a shooting incident at the club.
Violations of court orders and the absence of licensed security guards, as revealed by reports from the Property Action Team, were cited as part of the ongoing issues leading up to the court ruling, with an additional statement from the City Attorney’s Office shedding light on previous infractions from July 2021, July 2022, and March 2023, the club had reportedly failed to employ properly licensed security guards and was cited for further misconduct including a fight just days before the double murder and shots fired at an officer in the parking lot earlier in the year, The Columbus Dispatch reported. The Environmental Court ruling also mandates a $5,000 contempt fine against the owners and orders the state's Division of Liquor Control to keep the club's liquor license safe during the shutdown period.
The City Attorney, Zack Klein, has emphasized the need for a safe nightlife environment in Columbus. He states, "I want Columbus to have a vibrant nightlife, but it needs to be safe," and expresses zero tolerance for owners who flout court orders and allow violence and criminal activity to proliferate. His statement was echoed in ABC6, which also highlighted the club's long history of violence leading up to this most recent closure order.
