City revokes licenses of club where 9 were shot

The city has once again shut down the Felton Supper Club, the scene of a shooting Sunday morning that left nine people injured.

Citing a long series of criminal activities, the Department of Licenses & Inspections has revoked the club's amusement, business-privilege and special assembly occupancy licenses.

L&I notified co-owner Omar Infante of the closure in a letter dated yesterday. He and co-owner Maria Lopez have 10 days to appeal the decision.

This is at least the third time that L&I has closed the Feltonville club in the last two years.

In August 2009, the club was temporarily shuttered after an underage-drinking investigation revealed that the club didn't have a special assembly occupancy license, allowing for up to 450 people. They also found that the club had electrical- and fire-code violations, said Mark McDonald, a spokesman for Mayor Nutter.

The club reopened in September 2009, after the owners obtained the necessary license and brought the facility into fire and electrical compliance.

In January 2011, L&I again shut down the club after learning that another of its licenses had expired. That closure came in the wake of two shootings, one inside its door in December 2010 and another a few blocks away on New Year's Day 2011.

The owners got the necessary license and the club reopened in April with the understanding that police would be notified before any events. No notification was made before Saturday's event, McDonald said.

Also yesterday, police released surveillance video of the shooting. In the video, taken from cameras at a nearby check-cashing agency, two gunmen are seen crossing into the intersection of Rising Sun Avenue and Louden Street and opening fire. They got off 18 shots before fleeing eastbound on Louden Street, police said.

"These two individuals are out there shooting indiscriminately," said Capt John Gallagher, of East Detective Division. "We believe there's an intended target within that nine."

Police believe that the shooters knew patrons exiting the club would be unarmed. The club does not allow weapons and employs metal detectors.

Gallagher said that the club's owners and personnel were cooperating with the investigation and that there is no indication that the shooters were inside the club at any time. The club had between 20 and 25 security guards working that night. No unusual incidents were reported.

The gunmen were described only as black males in their late teens to early 20s. They may have been at a Rite Aid near Rising Sun and Wyoming avenues before the shooting.

To view the video, see: philly.com/Felton.