After a deadly Fourth of July weekend shooting rocked Remerton’s bar strip, the city is taking action.
A new emergency ordinance mandates bars close by midnight through August 10. The emergency measure comes after multiple shootings, including the death of a 16-year-old. Watch the video to hear from business owners about impacts of the change. Remerton enacts midnight bar curfew after deadly July 4th shooting
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
After a deadly Fourth of July weekend shooting rocked Remerton’s bar strip, the city is taking urgent action.
For the next 30 days til August 10th, all bars and alcohol license holders in Remerton will have to close their doors by midnight.
The emergency measure comes after three shootingseach after midnightin less than two years, including the death of a 16-year-old just last weekend.
Remerton PD investigator Derrick Sinclair tells me the goal is to curb late-night violence.
“This is not something against the bars. It’s just that we have to put something in place after all the incidents that have happened to, you know, prevent and curb some of this violence.”
The ordinance passed 3-0, with two council members abstaining due to ties to local bars.
“I used to always tell my kids growing up that, and I think I told you this couple days ago, nothing good happens after midnight.”
Business owners like Shawn Eikenberry, who runs the bike shop right next to the latest shooting scene, says there’s complicated feelings about this new policy.
“As a business owner who’s open during the daytime, obviously I want the place to be safer but I also feel for the business owners that’s their revenue stream. I hate to see them have their hands tied, but at the end of the day, it’s just got to be a safer place.”
Eikenberry recently installed new security cameras around his shopnot just for daytime coverage, but to support future investigations.
As for the current shooting investigation: investigator Sinclair tells me Remerton PD and the GBI are still collaborating and will release more information as it comes.
In Remerton, I’m Malia Thomas, reporting for ABC27.
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