Play Bar & Grill, the venue where Cleveland Police believe a Sunday night confrontation that ended in a barrage of gunfire began, remains covered in plywood as authorities carry out an investigation.
The move comes at the hands of Mayor Justin Bibb, who, some hours after the shooting occurred at 6:12 p.m. Sunday, directed officials to “immediately shut down and board up” Play Bar & Grill as authorities collected shell casings around the block. Six people, including an alleged shooter, were injured.
“We will hold everyone accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Bibb said in a statement.
The order prompted Play Bar & Grill’s owners to speak out in protest.
The shooting “was not on this property, not on the premises at all,” co-owner David Hill said in an Instagram video on Sunday. “They were shooting down the street.”
“You can’t make this up, y’all—the only Black-owned business in the Flats,” he said. “Black Mayor Justin Bibb made the decision [to close Play] without no investigation, no paperwork!”
Hill contended nothing happened in his bar that precipitated the shooting and that the gunfire erupted after Play had already closed for the day due to excessive crowds.
No suspects have been named in Sunday’s incident, although Cleveland Police said in a statement to Scene that one is amongst the victims taken to the hospital by EMS.
In a press conference Monday afternoon, Chief Dorothy Todd reiterated CPD’s belief that the altercation originated inside Play.
Roughly 40 shell casings from four guns, a city spokesperson told Scene, were found around Front Ave. and West 10th.
“This is still an active investigation,” CPD said. “We will provide additional information as it becomes available.”
The city can close a business by emergency order. Play’s ownership will have a chance to contest the move, though Hill told media on Monday he wasn’t informed of how or when.
A representative for Flats East Bank did not return a message for comment. Its website does not list Play Bar & Grill as of Monday afternoon.
Online, many seemed to support Hill’s business and balk at Bibb’s choice to put up plywood as the investigation is carried out.
“People did the shooting,” one commented. “Why is the bar being punished for it?”
“That is like charging a driver to fill a pothole,” another wrote, “because they drove over it.”
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