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An early morning shooting that left two dead could finally mean the end of Dolphin nightclub. City officials are calling for the club's closure after someone shot and killed a 41-year-old man and a 44-year-old man outside the club along the North Branch of Chicago River, where Webster and Ashland meet. Bullets also wounded a 26-year-old man who was hospitalized.
Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) is leading the charge in asking for the closure, saying city officials have ignored the club's violent past, and asked Mayor Rahm Emanuel to shut it down. The alderman is referring to a 2011 stabbing, when the venue was known as Green Dolphin Street. The Tribune has a good history of the club's violent past.
The club has gone through several transformations in recent years, including in 2013, when it changed names and relaunched with a concert from Crystal Method. The jazz and fine-dining concept gave way to a dance club vibe trying to attract a different clientele. Recent acts include hip hop, electro, house, salsa and meringue performers.
Obviously, Chicago's in the middle of an mayoral election, but will Monday's slayings and pressure from Waguespack finally sink Dolphin, or is there a chance it will keep on swimming?
