KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A community plans to come together to work to close a nightclub at the center of two fatal shootings this year.
The Vibe is located at 2630 Broadway in North Knoxville. This weekend, Jessie Roberts was killed at a nearby restaurant when multiple shots were fired in front of the club. On New Year's Day, Gregory Ballinger died after being shot at The Vibe.
Police have responded to 44 disturbance calls at that location since mid-2016. Fourteen of those have been this year, with ten happening in March. Of the 2019 calls, most of them were noise or disturbance complaints.
Now the people who live and work in the area are invited to a meeting to discuss what can be done to shut the club down.
"In an effort to have your voices heard, and also with the goal of taking the necessary steps to get this establishment permanently closed, several neighborhoods have organized an open public forum/town hall meeting," reads a Facebook invite to the meeting.
It's scheduled for 6:30-8:30 p.m on Thursday, April 11, at the Christenberry Rec Center located at 931 Oglewood Avenue.
The invite says that representatives from KPD, city council, neighborhood associations and local churches will be at the meeting. It also provides an email address for people to send any personal accounts of trouble they've experienced because of the club so that a list can be compiled.
"We look at this as an opportunity for this North Knoxville area to come together for positive change, and to support the families that have tragically lost their loved one,." the invitation says.
The Vibe's owner previously had a club in south Knoxville that was shut down in 2016. At the time, police cited gang activity and shootings when they boarded that place up.