8 shot at club that stays up all night

FORT MILL, S.C. - Eight people were recovering from gunshot wounds Wednesday after a patron at the Ibiza nightclub rushed past bouncers and opened fire into the crowd with a 9 mm handgun, authorities said.

One man, who was shot in the chest, underwent surgery Wednesday morning and was listed in fair condition at Carolinas Medical Center, a hospital spokesman said.

The other gunshot wounds were to people's feet and legs and did not appear to be serious, said Lt. Tim Hager of the York County Sheriff's Office. The other seven victims were not hospitalized.

The shooting at the all-night club, on U.S. 21 near Interstate 77 just south of the state line, came during a private benefit party hosted by Charlotte radio station WPEG. Hager said a "near-riot" occurred in the parking lot when the club closed after the shootings.

Hager said sheriff's deputies have been called to the club about 100 times since Jan. 1, 2002, for reports ranging from shots fired to rape, car theft, car break-ins and public drunkenness.

"This club has been a problem for us ever since it opened its doors," Hager said.

Tonight, the club is scheduled to host a "Girls Gone Wild"-themed party. The nationally known video series features women, often college-aged, lifting their shirts at clubs and bars.

York County Council members tried to shut the club down in December, denying a rezoning request that would have allowed Ibiza to continue operating as a dance club. Ibiza is in a zone that prohibits businesses with a designated dance floor. Owner David Baucom said his club is in compliance with the law because it does not have a specified dance floor, and the club is appealing the county's move.

Baucom said that the shooting was the first violent incident that has happened inside the club and that the man arrested is not a regular patron.

The club caters to the crowd that still wants to party after N.C. bars must stop selling alcohol at 2 a.m. South Carolina allows beer and wine sales after 2 a.m., except Sundays. Baucom said Ibiza usually closes between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m.

After the shooting about 2:20 a.m. Wednesday, Hager said, deputies arrested Kyle Jacob James, 25, of Clover, and charged him with eight counts of assault and battery with intent to kill and one count of possessing a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. His bond will be set this morning, Hager said.

Baucom said several hundred people attended the party that began Tuesday night. Bouncers removed James from the club after he got in a shoving match with another patron, but he soon returned to the club's front door with a handgun, authorities said.

Hager said James pointed the gun at one of the two bouncers at the door, ran past him and began firing. Bouncers tackled James and held him down until sheriff's deputies arrived.

Patrons were ushered into the parking lot so the club could close after the shooting, and some became angry that the party was over, Baucom said.

Two car windows were broken, and several people were arrested and charged with public disorderly conduct, Hager said.

Security at the club is not a problem, Baucom said. All patrons must empty their pockets and are patted down and searched with a metal detector before entering the club. Nine bouncers were on duty for the party.

County officials wants to develop the area with shops and offices and say the combination dance club/bar/restaurant is the wrong kind of business for the area.

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Hager said a "near-riot" occurred in the parking lot when the club closed after the shootings.

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Its not a party until someone gets a cap in their @ss.

Hager said sheriff's deputies have been called to the club about 100 times since Jan. 1, 2002, for reports ranging from shots fired to rape, car theft, car break-ins and public drunkenness.

Baucom said that the shooting was the first violent incident that has happened inside the club

Am I the only one who finds this strange?

That's it. I'm calling for a ban on night. Lots of bad things happen at night. If we do away with night we do away with those bad things.

I also want a ban on marriages. Fully 100% of people who get divorced do so after getting married.

"I feel like it's a pretty isolated incident," he said.

Isolated for the 101st time!

The club caters to the crowd that still wants to party after N.C. bars must stop selling alcohol at 2 a.m.

So at 2:00AM every drunk in the city heads for the same spot. Stands to reason there's going to be trouble from time to time.

Security at the club is not a problem, Baucom said.

Ummmmm....right.

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