Investigators have an arrest warrant for a 21-year-old suspect responsible for the shooting that left one man dead and three women injured. (Screenshot from NBC4 Columbus)
A 21-year-old man was arrested in a shooting that killed a man and wounded three women at an Ohio strip club that’s being sued for a string of violence and criminal activity.
Travis Ingram Jr. was arrested at a home in Massillon, 140 miles northeast of Columbus, Ohio. Authorities said they seized three guns and detained a second man for obstruction of justice. Ingram was jailed in Stark County, awaiting extradition to Columbus, the U.S. Marshals said in a news release.
Ingram was wanted for aggravated murder in the shooting on Jan. 29 at The Doll House in Columbus, according to the Columbus Division of Police.
Ingram was charged with murder for causing the death of Charles Smith and three counts of felonious assault for causing injury to the other victims, police said in a news release. A bullet grazed a fourth person.
Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein announced a lawsuit on Feb. 9, declaring the club a public nuisance following shootings, violent crime and other illegal activity there.
City officials also urged the court to shut it down until the owners address safety and security concerns.
The Doll House, blocks away from homes, businesses and a church, has seen violence, drug use, and prostitution, Klein said.
Klein said police reported 51 incidents at the premises since January 2021. They include multiple shootings, a homicide, a robbery, felony assaults, overdoses and motor vehicle thefts. Emergency personnel responded to 180 calls for service to the club, including for fights, shootings, sex crimes, overdoses, burglary and a stabbing, he said.
Klein said a city investigation into the deadly shooting last month found significant breaches of the club’s safety and security protocols.
The suspect entered the club without being searched, the front door metal detector was not being used, and the ID scanner purchased for the club was missing. The club only had two of six security personnel onsite.
“The level of violence and criminal conduct at this business is unacceptable, and while owners have indicated they want to step up to make changes, this lawsuit allows the City to step in as needed to hold owners accountable,” said City Attorney Zach Klein. “The City needs to see a real commitment to substantially improve safety and security and will not hesitate to take appropriate legal action if those benchmarks aren’t met.”
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