14 DAY TRIAL // Marion “Suge” Knight was attending a pre-MTV Video Music Awards party yesterday evening at the 1 OAK clubs on the Sunset Strip, along with a large group of other people, at an event hosted by Chris Brown. Suge was wounded in a shootout that occurred in the club, and it remains a mystery as to why it started in the first place.
The shootout is believed to have occurred at some time around 1:30 in the morning, according to the LA Times, and as soon as the first shots rang out in the club, people outside ran out screaming into the street. Police arrived on the scene shortly but the shooter managed to escape, being still at large for the moment.
One witness is quoted as saying that “I was about to leave, and all of a sudden I heard gunshots. I saw a bunch of people running out. I ran out with them.... The cops had their guns drawn towards the doors, and it was a crime scene from then on.”
Suge was wounded in the scuffle and police immediately helped him into a cruiser until the ambulance arrived, fearing that the shooter would return to finish his business. After the incident, the rap impresario was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he underwent surgery. He is expected to live, according to official reports.
The shootout resulted in two other people getting injured. Both of them were taken to the hospital and are expected to make a full recovery.
The initial police investigation indicates that Suge was shot by a yet unidentified man, who simply walked up to him and pulled a gun on the manager. Sheriff Lt. John Corina called it “a crime of opportunity,” as the shooter did not exchange words with Knight, and there was no violence between them prior to the shooting.
Police are now said to be taking into consideration gang rivalries as a possible motive for the shooting, since Knight is strongly connected with the Bloods gang in Compton, and several Bloods members were present at the party on Sunday.
The club shooting was captured on video, and now police are reviewing the exact moment Knight got shot, to see if they can identify the person who pulled the trigger.
Chris Brown, who was hosting the party when the shooting occurred, later took to Twitter to denounce the incident, “It's disappointing that we as a society can't have fun or enjoy ourselves without any altercations sometimes.”
Knight's family confirmed that Knight was recuperating, that he had lost a lot of blood, and asked the public to “keep Suge in your prayers and to stray away from the negativity portrayed by the media.”
UPDATE: There is now video of the incident, and you can see police rolling in with guns out at the club entrance, and Suge Knight being put into the back of a police cruiser. Later reports indicate that he was shot as many as 6 times.