The Buffalo Police Department indefinitely shut down Club Marcella Sunday evening after one person was shot inside of the club’s bathrooms early Sunday morning, Buffalo city officials say.
The shooting is the fourth to occur in or around the Michigan Avenue club since the start of the year. Those four shootings — including January’s shooting of a security guard in a nearby parking lot, February’s fatal triple shooting inside the club and October’s drive-by shooting — have collectively injured seven people and killed a patron, 21-year-old Jorge Garcia-Leon Jr.
The victim in Sunday’s shooting, a 30-year-old Buffalo man, was taken by ambulance to ECMC. He was listed as being in stable condition.
“I have deemed that the immediate closure of Club Marcella is necessary to promote and secure the preservation of peace and good order,” Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia wrote in a police order duct-taped to the club’s entrance. “I am hereby directing you to immediately close, and keep closed, Club Marcella, for so long as I deem necessary, in order to preserve peace and good order.”
Buffalo Police have responded to 45 service calls from Club Marcella this year, according to the police order. That includes 14 assault calls and eight threats.
A spokesperson for the New York State Liquor Authority told WBFO News that the authority "immediately opened an investigation" in conjunction with the Buffalo Police Department following Sunday's incident.
"This is a priority for the SLA, with the premises already under investigation due to previous incidents coupled with the severity of the incident," the spokesperson said in a statement. "The SLA’s investigation into this matter is ongoing and at its conclusion, the SLA will take all appropriate actions.”
Buffalo Common Councilmember Mitch Nowakowski, whose district includes Club Marcella, said in a statement that he was "beyond disappointed and alarmed" by Sunday's shooting.
“Ensuring the safety and stability of the Cobblestone District is paramount,” Nowakowski said. “I support the Police Commissioner’s decision for an immediate closure prioritizing the safety of everyone in the surrounding area amidst ongoing safety and security concerns.”
My statement regarding the immediate closure of Club Marcella following yet another shooting that occurred early Sunday morning: pic.twitter.com/enYMTGDrHJ
— Mitch Nowakowski (@mitch4fillmore) December 3, 2023
Joseph Guagliardo, the owner of the club, did not respond to a phone call from WBFO on Monday morning.
The alleged gunman in February’s fatal shooting, 20-year-old Sharief McBroom, as well as the 17-year-old who allegedly got the gun into the club, were arrested and charged in the months after the incident, according to the Erie County District Attorney’s Office. Club Marcella responded to that incident by temporarily closing early on Fridays and Saturdays and by refusing entry to 18- to 20-year-olds, who are normally allowed in.
Club Marcella had operated for nearly three decades as an LGBTQ+ bar on Pearl Street in Buffalo’s Theater District. The club moved to its new location on Michigan Avenue in 2022.
Police are continuing to investigate Sunday’s shooting. Investigators are asking anyone with information to call or text their confidential tip line at (716) 847-2255.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to include a statement from the State Liquor Authority.