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Sources: The Lodge may be shut down by police, City of Buffalo after shots fired incident

Posted at 6:36 PM, Jun 20, 2016
and last updated 2016-06-21 10:42:01-04

Sources tell 7 Eyewitness News that the City of Buffalo and Buffalo Police are looking into possibly taking action against The Lodge on Chippewa Street that could include either temporarily or permanently shutting the bar and restaurant down.

At 3 a.m. Monday, police received a call about a fight at The Lodge, where the bar and restaurant was hosting a "promoter party," a party where a promoter brings in patrons and guests and the venue supplies the alcohol.

Police say the people who got into a fight had some kind of confrontation inside the bar and then a group of around 150 people crowded the streets, where shots were fired.

One person is in custody, another person is being treated at ECMC for injuries, following the fight in the Delaware-Chippewa area.

According to B District Chief Joe Gramaglia, 25-year-old Keenon Fitzgerlad is facing charges including disorderly conduct, harassment, and resisting arrest.  

"We believe that there were some opposing individuals that sparked something much larger," Gramaglia said at an afternoon news conference.

By the time officers arrived at the scene, more than 150 people had spilled out onto Chippewa.  At about 3:15 a.m., Shots were fired about 100 yards away from a 7 Eyewitness News photographer. 

The photographer was not hurt. 

Police are reviewing shell casings collected near the Hampton Inn on Delaware Avenue, and are also looking at surveillance footage and private recordings of the fight.

Buffalo Common Council President Darius Pridgen tells 7 Eyewitness News he believes there should be a law in place requiring bars, restaurants and promoters to notify Buffalo Police when expecting a big group of people.

"That's really to benefit both party planners, bars, and the police. It's very hard to create a strategic plan if you don't know something's happening in the city," Pridgen said. "I want our police department to have all of the information possible to protect public safety."

Here's what our photographer witnessed: