Editor's Note: This story has been updated to more precisely attribute the reported location of the Aug. 8 shooting to police, and to include the account of attorneys for Centerfolds Cabaret, who say the gunfire occurred in a neighboring business's parking lot and that a club security officer rendered aid to the victim. A reference to the nearest cross street has also been updated for accuracy.
A man was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries Saturday after being shot at least once outside Centerfolds Cabaret near 21st and Peoria avenues in north Phoenix, according to police. He was later listed in stable condition, and no arrests have been made as detectives work to figure out what led up to the shooting and who is responsible.
First responders were called to the reported shooting at the cabaret, located at 2031 West Peoria Avenue, according to AZ Family. The Phoenix Police Department confirmed the man had been shot at least once, and investigators focused their attention on the front and side of the cabaret's parking lot, per the outlet's report.
The exact spot where the gunfire erupted is disputed. Attorneys for Centerfolds Cabaret say the shooting took place in the parking lot of the Trulieve cannabis dispensary immediately next door, at 2017 West Peoria Avenue, and that the club's involvement was limited to a security officer who responded and rendered aid to the wounded man. The two businesses sit side by side on the same block, and crime scene tape and evidence markers were visible across the shared parking area, including in front of both buildings, in television footage from the scene. Police have not publicly specified on whose property the victim was shot.
Detectives are still working to identify those responsible and piece together the circumstances that led to the gunfire, the station notes. No further details on the victim's identity have been released.
A Cabaret With a Violent Past
Centerfolds Cabaret has been the site of serious violence before. In January 2017, an off-duty firefighter died after a physical assault in the club's parking lot, a case that ended with a bouncer convicted and sentenced in 2018 to 10 years in prison for murder, according to 12News.
That fatal assault also triggered regulatory fallout. The Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control announced the revocation of the cabaret owner's liquor license under a consent agreement, after law enforcement alleged that the club's on-duty manager had tampered with evidence and hindered the prosecution, per the agency's own records.
Another Flashpoint at 21st and Peoria
The shooting adds to a string of recent violence at the same north Phoenix corner. Less than two months earlier, an early-morning shooting on June 21 near 19th and Peoria avenues left two people wounded and led to a suspect's arrest, as Hoodline previously reported. That case was later cited as part of a broader pattern of north Phoenix gun violence that summer.
Arizona law adds another layer of context to shootings near bars and clubs. Under A.R.S. 4-229 and 4-244, concealed carry permit holders may legally bring handguns into licensed liquor establishments unless a compliant no-firearms sign is posted, so long as they don't drink while on the premises, according to Handgunlaw.us. Separately, state law under A.R.S. 4-112 requires liquor licensees and security staff to complete approved training in security procedures, de-escalation, and protocols for contacting law enforcement, per FindLaw.
Violent Crime Trends Across Phoenix
Citywide numbers show the backdrop against which this shooting occurred. Phoenix recorded 13,296 violent crimes in 2024, with aggravated assaults accounting for the vast majority at 9,068 reported incidents, according to data compiled by eufy. At the same time, the city saw an overall 4 percent drop in crime in 2024 compared to the previous year, along with a 28 percent decline in homicides from pandemic-era peaks, even as localized violent incidents like this one continue to occur.
The Phoenix Police Department's Violent Crimes Bureau, which includes a specialized Night Detectives Detail, is handling the investigation, consistent with how the department typically processes major assault and shooting cases. Anyone with information is asked to call police at (602) 262-6151. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Silent Witness, an independent nonprofit that works with Phoenix police to offer cash rewards funded entirely by private donations rather than taxpayer dollars, at (480) 948-6377, or in Spanish at (480) 837-8446.
