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Top cop: Man killed outside "toilet" club

A 23-year-old man was killed early this morning outside of a nuisance bar in Upper Darby that Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said is "a huge toilet."

A 23-year-old man was killed early this morning outside of a nuisance bar in Upper Darby that Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said is "a huge toilet."

"Any of these bars, I don't care what community you are in, if they are a toilet, eventually they overflow," Chitwood said. "If they overflow, someone dies, like we had last night."

Police said that two men, including victim Randy Campbell, 23, got in to a fight in the bathroom of the Venue bar on Garrett Road and Fairfield Avenue sometime last night. The man Campbell was fighting with got kicked out of the club and he laid in wait until Campbell exited around 2:40 a.m. The man then opened fire on Campbell, Chitwood said.

In total, the assailant fired 13 bullets. Campbell, who was the only one hit, was shot in the left side of his head and his chin. He was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was later pronounced dead, according to police.

Police were able to question about 150 people who were in a nearby parking lot, some of whom were cooperative, Chitwood said. The gunman remains on the loose, but police are hopeful he will be identified and apprehended.

When authorities arrived on scene, they found the club already locked for the night and despite their knocking, no one came to the door, Chitwood said.

"We figured the owners shut down and bolted," he said.

But nearly four hours later, while police were still processing the scene, the club's owner and two bouncers emerged from the bar, Chitwood said. They were immediately taken to Upper Darby police headquarters for questioning. It's unknown whether they will face any charges.

"That was so nice of them to be cooperative the way they were," Chitwood said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

He said the bar has seen three name changes in just a year - it went from Traxx to Rhythms to Venue - but that whatever name it is called, the bar continues to be a problem establishment.