By Allison Klein and Amy Gardner
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, May 28, 2007
A District man was fatally shot outside a swanky club on Washington's Southwest waterfront early yesterday before police shot his alleged killer in another outbreak of violence that is again bringing scrutiny to the region's night scene.
The shooting near H2O Restaurant & Lounge has prompted D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier to use her emergency powers and shut down the club for four days. It was the third time she has temporarily closed a club this year.
Such violence at a club as prominent as H2O -- which hosted a fundraiser last week for Sen. Barack Obama, a Democratic presidential candidate -- is eliciting more calls for nightclub reform. "We're in a terrible condition in these places, particularly late at night," said D.C. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1). "It's sadly not surprising, and tragically so."
Nightspots in the District and Prince George's County have been under pressure in recent months after several people were shot in or near the establishments. In the District, a 17-year-old was killed in January, prompting public outcry and proposed legislation aimed at stemming the bloodshed. In Prince George's, county officials briefly ordered nine nightclubs shut down last month, saying they were magnets for violent crime. On Saturday morning, a man was shot outside one of those clubs after a fight.
The earlier D.C. violence prompted Graham to write the Youth Protection Bill, which would place greater restrictions on nightclubs that serve alcohol and allow patrons under 18. The bill is pending, following hearings earlier this year that brought a close examination of the city's thriving music scene.
At H2O yesterday, the shooting started after a party hosted by light middleweight boxing champion Floyd Mayweather. Nelson Able Jr., 39, of the 500 block of Webster Street NW, was killed about a block from H2O, which is in the 800 block of Water Street SW, police said.
The man who allegedly shot him, Rashod Holmes, 26, turned his gun on a police officer, who shot and wounded Holmes, according to police. Holmes is expected to survive.
The shooting occurred as the club was closing about 3 a.m., when Able and Holmes were arguing inside H2O, police said. Bouncers threw them out, and Holmes went to his car and got a handgun, police said.
Holmes then shot Able in the head, killing him, police said. A D.C. police officer working an overtime security detail at the club saw the shooting, authorities said.
The officer ordered Holmes to drop his gun, but Holmes turned and pointed it at the officer, police said. The officer shot Holmes in the left eye and groin, authorities said.
Holmes, of the 500 block of Shepherd Street NW, has been charged with second-degree murder while armed.
Investigators said they do not know what the men were arguing over but said it was a neighborhood dispute that probably started before the men got to the club.
H2O owner Abdul Khanu said Lanier's emergency closure was unnecessary because he voluntarily canceled a party at H2O last night. Khanu said he did everything he was supposed to do, including ejecting the two men who were arguing and hiring police officers for safety.
"It is unfortunate that this happened outside like that," Khanu said. "I don't want the neighborhood to have these kinds of incidents."
The club, which has been open since 2003, often attracts political and entertainment stars. In addition to the Obama fundraiser Wednesday, entertainers Patti Labelle and P. Diddy and former president Bill Clinton have made appearances.
Police said the spot was "not a problem club." This year, police responded to seven crimes such as assault and robbery associated with H2O. Last year, there were about 25 crimes reported, police said.
Saturday night, before he was killed, Able had gone out to party with Washington's trendy crowd.
For more than 20 years, his mother, Linda Green, hadn't allowed herself to go to bed at night until she knew her son had arrived home safe. Shot twice, arrested on drug charges more than once, Able was still living the life of an aimless kid -- and it scared her to death, Green said.
So when the telephone rang at 4 a.m., she knew the news wasn't good. Green, 57, a District native, spoke angrily of the growing problem of gun violence at nightspots.
"The purpose of the club has lost its meaning," she said. "It's a social outing, not the OK Corral. The kids would rather shoot than talk. It's just so out of control."
Staff researcher Rena Kirsch contributed to this report.
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