Grieving mother fighting to close club in KC: ‘Lives matter’
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KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) — The mother of a murder victim is speaking out about a Kansas City nightclub that was allowed to stay open after two shootouts happened outside the club just this year.
In all, 23 people have been shot outside the 9ine Ultra Lounge. Four last weekend and 19 in January.
That shooting in January left two people dead: the gunman and 25-year-old Raeven Parks.
Parks’ mother, Rouxanne Cunningham, was watching TV when she learned about the January shooting. At the time, she was unaware her daughter had been killed.
“That’s terrible. Young people can’t go out anymore. It’s not safe,” she said. “And the next thing you know, I have a knock at the door.”
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After that shooting, the club closed for several weeks while owner Alphonso Hodge made some security changes.
He denied responsibility after the shooting this week, saying the shooting was after hours and not directly in front of his club. But some city leaders, include the mayor, say the 9ine Ultra Lounge needs to be shut down.
“I would hope that the business owner understands there is no reason to reopen,” said Mayor Quinton Lucas.
“Your crowd was there for you. Every car there was for your business,” said City Inspector Jim Ready. “You can’t walk out and say, ‘Not my problem anymore.’”
Meanwhile, Rouxanne Cunningham is stunned the city is having such a tough time shutting it down and that that owner is even weighing his options.
“If money is more important to you than lives of loved ones, then that’s unfortunate,” said Cunningham, shaking her head. “Lives matter!”
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