Gang Activity Suspected in Arkansas Nightclub Shooting

(CN) – The rapper performing on stage at a Little Rock nightclub when 28 concertgoers were injured early Saturday morning has been arrested on gun charges unrelated to the shooting that police say may be gang-related.

U.S. Marshals arrested Ricky Hampton, also known as Finese2Tymes, outside an Alabama club about 24 hours after gunshots rang out at a rap concert at the Power Ultra Lounge.

Hampton, 25, of Memphis, Tenn., remained in a Birmingham jail on Monday morning without bond on outstanding charges of aggravated assault with a gun out of Forrest City, Arkansas.

Little Rock police say no arrests have been made in the nightclub shooting where 25 people between the ages of 16 and 35 were struck by gunfire, and three others suffered injuries afterward. All are expected to survive.

Firearms recovered during Hampton’s arrest will be analyzed at a crime lab in Arkansas to determine whether they match shell casings found at the shooting scene, police said.

The rapper was described as a “person of interest” by Little Rock Police Lt. Steven McClanahan, who said he will be extradited to Arkansas to be interviewed by police.

Police were summoned to the downtown Little Rock nightclub at about 2:30 a.m. Saturday morning to a chaotic scene after an 11-second volley of gunfire shattered the night. Authorities blame a clash among clubgoers and possible gang activity for the incident.

“Some sort of dispute broke out between people inside,” Police Chief Kenton Buckner told reporters.

City officials are now calling for Power Ultra Lounge to be shut down. The club’s liquor license was suspended by state regulators on Saturday, and the property’s landlord reportedly posted an eviction notice demanding the club’s owners leave within three days for “failure to maintain the premises in a safe condition.”

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