Mayhem erupted at a northeast Atlanta strip club Thursday morning when a fight led to a shooting and the arrest of a wanted man, authorities said.
Atlanta police said two men were injured after some type of altercation started inside the Onyx Gentleman’s Club on Cheshire Bridge Road and escalated outside.
One of victims was shot, while the other, identified as 30-year-old Markist Porterfield by police, suffered a laceration to his head. Porterfield was taken to a hospital and arrested after authorities learned he had several outstanding warrants out of DeKalb County.
The melee happened around 2:40 a.m., just before the club closed for the night. Officers responded and found Porterfield injured after fighting with “several males,” according to police. He was taken into custody by officers at Grady Detention Center, and his DeKalb charges were not disclosed.
Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com
Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com
Soon after, another man entered the hospital with a gunshot wound, and investigators determined the victim was struck by gunfire at Onyx. He is said to be stable and his identity was not released by police.
Onyx was one of several Cheshire Bridge strip clubs that faced relocation a decade ago, but Atlanta City councilmembers voted down legislation that would have forced the businesses to move within five years. Those in favor of the legislation felt it would make the community safer, while opponents argued shutting down the businesses would impact jobs or simply push the establishments to other communities.
In June 2021, a gunfight inside Onyx that continued into the parking lot left two people injured. Cellphone video captured the sound of more than two dozen shots ringing out in quick succession. Both of the victims were reported to be stable.
The shooting on Thursday remains under investigation.
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