D.C. Teen Is Killed at U Street Area Nightclub

No arrests had been made. The woman whose ejection from the club set off the events and the man who accompanied her with a gun remained at large, police said. District law prohibits private citizens from carrying handguns.

"There is no indication at this point that [Ford] was the intended target," said Cmdr. Larry McCoy, who heads the 3rd Police District.

Ford's death marks the fourth killing associated with dance clubs in the U Street area in less than three years. The previous incidents eventually led to clubs being closed permanently. City officials closed Between Friends after a stabbing in 2004, Kili's Kafe after a patron was shot in 2005 and Club U after a stabbing in 2005. All had operated as restaurants by day and dance clubs after hours.

Some go-go dances have been marred by violence, but there is a growing movement to change their reputation by promoting peaceful go-gos.

Although government officials have tried to combat the problem by giving community leaders more authority to limit new establishments, the problems have continued.

Members of the area's Advisory Neighborhood Commission said Smarta/Broadway had been a source of trouble for police and nearby residents since it opened in 2004. They said the owner, in seeking their support for his liquor license, promised it would be an upscale restaurant frequented by African diplomats.

In April, the city's Alcohol Beverage Regulation Administration ordered the club to shorten its hours after it was found to be serving alcohol after regular closing hours. Another hearing was scheduled for this week after authorities received complaints that the club was illegally allowing patrons to leave the premises with alcohol in cups.

Two frequent patrons of Smarta/Broadway, both minors, said it was relatively easy to find a clubgoer of legal age to buy a drink for minors.

While visiting with Wilson family members yesterday in their Northeast Washington home, Graham said he was troubled by District laws allowing minors to be in nightclubs that serve alcohol. Graham said he might introduce legislation to bar minors from such establishments. "This is a horrible, horrible tragedy that just should not have happened," he said.

The District is not the only place allowing minors in nightclubs. The laws vary widely by jurisdiction, but many places in Virginia and Maryland permit legal drinkers to mingle with minors.

Lanier ordered Smarta/Broadway closed for at least 72 hours while an investigation into Ford's killing is conducted.

"I thought it was a safe club because it was a teen club. But I guess nowhere is safe," Ford's father said.