Robert Earl Thomas: Empire Club Murder In Hollywood Sees Arrest
Updated at the bottom with the name of the suspect, victim. Headline has changed. First posted at 11:21 a.m.
Google Maps Empire Club
On a weekend of massive DUI patrols in Hollywood and Silver Lake, there wasn't a cop to be found when ugly fights in the heart of clubland turned into murder. It was so out in the open the attack was caught on video (after the jump).
By the time officers arrived to Hollywood's Empire Club the victim lay on the ground, a mortal bullet wound having pierced his head.
Today, however, the LAPD was triumphant:
An arrest has been made in connection with the shooting, police tell the Weekly.
Details were expected to be released in about a half hour, cops told us; we'll update this when we get them.
The violence outside Empire started shortly after the club let out, and officers were called to the scene at 2:05 a.m. Sunday.
It started with fighting inside the venue, police said, then spilled outside. A woman sustained a bullet-graze wound, police said: A man was punched hard in the jaw.
Video appears to show mostly women fighting at first. When the men get involved, that's when someone draws a gun.
[Update at 4:12 p.m.]: Police today identified the victim as 19-year-old Andre Lowe.
The suspect, charged with murder, was also named in an LAPD statement:
Last night, 22-year-old Los Angeles resident Robert Earl Thomas was located and arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada by members of the Las Vegas Metropolitan-FBI Fugitive Task Force.
Authorities are still looking to ID others in the video. If you can help they'd like to hear from you: 213-382-9470.
[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]
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