Following an investigation by North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement, StarBar's ABC permits have been suspended, making it illegal for alcohol to be sold or served at the establishment in east Raleigh.
Following an overnight shooting at StarBar on April 13, ALE special agents investigated 'ongoing violence associated with StarBar.'
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Findings from that investigation resulted in the immediate suspension of ABC permits. The shooting remains under investigation by RPD.
"We hope this suspension will help prevent future violence and have a positive impact on the surrounding community," said Bryan House, Director of North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement.
The shooting marked the 17th reported incident on the property, near the intersection of New Bern Avenue and Trawick Road, in the last 12 months. In August, two people were shot at StarBar.
According to ALE, StarBar has a history of violent incidents, arrests and calls for service including controlled substances, stabbings, shootings and assaults.
Kimberly McNeil lives in Raleigh, and she is not confident that suspending StarBar's permits again will change anything.
“They have already had their license revoked so I don’t think that that will necessarily change anything," McNeil said. "They might just need to leave the area or get more security.”
Some residents and business owners nearby are hopeful the permit suspension will bring about change.
“ We can hear the gunshots. And then when we look, it’s all red and blue lights flashing," said one man living near StarBar. “We go down in the basement because there’s a brick wall and it’s down low because once a bullet leaves a barrel it doesn’t care what it hits. It’s going to hit something. And we don’t want that something to be us.”
WRAL has reached out to StarBar to learn if the bar will be open while the ABC permits are suspended.
This is the second time in the last five years the night club had had its liquor license suspended. StarBar previously lost its liquor license in 2020 after five incidents of shootings and stabbings happened on or near the property.