As people left Pulse Nightclub and Lounge in New Haven early Saturday morning police say multiple fights broke out ending with two people being shot.
"I can't control what goes on outside the club and what goes on on the streets of New Haven. That's the city's job," said Pulse Nightclub and Lounge owner Jason Cutler.
As police worked to control a fight in the courtyard outside the club, another fight took place outside Gateway Community College at the corner of Church and Crown Streets. That altercation ended in shots fired and left two men injured.
24-year-old Timothy Charles, of Hamden, was shot in the hand and 21-year-old Kirt Swan, of New Haven, was shot in his upper back.
Charles and Swan were taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital and are being treated for non-life threatening injuries.
"Usually we walk without any worry, and now we may not be able to," said Dan, a New Haven resident.
Police say both victims attended a hip-hop party promoted by Pulse Nightclub and believe both men were involved in the fight.
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Cutler says he feels like he's being singled out by police.
"That's three blocks away from here yet they're pointing the finger at the club. Also, the shooting happened at 2:13 in the morning, almost 45 minutes after the club let out," said Cutler.
A spokesperson for New Haven Police called the violence an inexcusable occurrence saying, "Violence to this degree is not typical, but when it occurs in New Haven, it almost always stems from a venue that had promoted a hip-hop event."
"I have a hip-hop night every Friday for the last two and a half years, and I have not had any issues before that," said Cutler.
Police say they've recently stepped up their presence in the area to promote safety in the downtown nightclub district, and Cutler says his club has security guards and everyone who enters gets patted down. But some who live in the area say they no longer feel safe walking the streets at night.
"For the last year we've been looking to get out. We've been looking to move," said Ashley, a New Haven resident.
Detectives from the New Haven Police Major Crimes Division, along with the Bureau of Identification and the Office of Information Technology are investigating.
Anyone with information or who witnessed the shooting or the fights are urged to contact New Haven Police at 203-946-6304. Calls may be made anonymously.
