DAYTON - Early Friday morning, streets near 2nd Street and Jefferson in downtown Dayton were the scene of fights and gun shots.
And now, nearby business owners say âtheyâve had enoughâ, and want this area cleaned up.
âIt was like a bad movie, itâs like weâre in a warzoneâ said Wayne Kelley, âStage Doorâ owner.
Wayne Kelley, owner of the âStage Doorâ which is next door to âClub Vaultâ says he and other nearby business owners have had enough.
âA lot of problems, shootings, fights, cops are here constantly, itâs affecting my business, itâs affecting other peopleâs businessesâ said Kelley.
Kelley says even some of his loyal customers wonât come at night because of the violence.
The patio area of the âStage Doorâ even felt the affects of the violence. A bullet pierced through the wall and onto the patio. No one was hurt.
The bullet stems from a shooting Thanksgiving night after fights broke out in âClub Vaultâ. Aundric Kerley, 23, died in that shooting.
Saturday morning, family and friends held a vigil outside âClub Vaultâ remembering Kerleyâs life. ABC 22/Fox 45 News tried to reach Vault management for comment, but were unsuccessful. However, not everyone is pointing the finger at the owners, as much as they blame the crowd it attracts.
âI know theyâve done everything in their power for security, you donât have a crystal ball, you just donât know whoâs coming inâ said Jeff Chambers, Dayton resident.
âSomething needs to be done, has to be done or none of us are going to surviveâ said Kelley.
Several of the downtown business owners affected by the violence are hoping to have a meeting with Daytonâs chief of police in the near future to come up with a solution to the problem.
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