U Street nightclub shut down after shooting

A U Street nightclub will be shut down for much of this week after D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier cited its operations as the reason three men were shot early Monday morning.

The men, who police said were shot in the leg, shot in the back and shot in the shoulder, were leaving Indulj Restaurant and Lounge at 1208 U St. NW at 12:30 a.m. Monday. All three suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

The shootings were linked to a fight that started inside Indulj Restaurant and Lounge and spilled into the streets, according to the notice of closure Chief Lanier issued to restaurant owner Garnell J. Wilson.

“This violent crime can be connected directly to the operations of the Indulj establishment and severely endangers the residents and visitors of this city,” Chief Lanier wrote in the letter. Further, she wrote that the “serious assault occurring inside the club” involved “a few, if not all, of those individuals who were shot.”

Pending an investigation by the Alcohol Beverage Regulation Administration, the restaurant will be closed for four days starting 6 p.m. Monday, according to the document.

The restaurant is located on the same block as the U Street Metro station and Ben’s Chili Bowl.

Since 2009, the restaurant has been the site of six criminal investigations with offenses ranging from disorderly patrons to aggravated assault while armed, according to the ABRA.

Police said they are on the lookout for a white Ford or Chevrolet. The investigation is ongoing.

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