Gang feud behind shootings

UNITED STATES: Police say 25 people were shot when a suspected gang rivalry erupted inside a packed club in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Several others were injured attempting to escape, with reports that some jumped from secondstorey windows at the Power Ultra Lounge.

Two people were still in critical condition yesterday, according to police.

‘‘When you force these two communities into a small room and some kind of dispute ensues, it was a recipe for disaster,’’ Police Chief Kenton Buckner told reporters at a news conference.

Mayor Mark Stodola told reporters the Power Ultra Lounge would be shut down for unspecific violations. ‘‘We’re going to be extra vigilant with the people walking the streets with guns,’’ he added.

The police department was trying to find multiple suspected shooters, as well as the rapper who was performing at the club, Ricky Hampton of Memphis, who police said had arrest warrants related to violence at his shows in other cities.

Police did not say what sort of gang dispute was suspected in the incident. Buckner said it could have been related to about a dozen drive-by shootings that took place in Little Rock the previous week.

Two off-duty police officers were working the parking lot, Buckner said. Shortly before they went home about 2am, the chief said, the officers refused entry to a group of people, one of whom openly carried a gun. Somehow, the chief said, those people found another way in. About a half-hour later, he said, ‘‘some sort of dispute ensued in the audience.’’

The youngest victim was a 16-year-old boy, police said. In total, 28 people were injured. - Washington Post