Police familiar with Applejax location - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

By Karen Cohilas - bio | email

ALBANY, GA (WALB) - Wednesday morning isn't the first time someone has been killed at 1303 East Broad.

In 2006 a man was shot in the head outside what was then called the Royal Pool Hall.

Neighbors tell us the club attracts a wild and often rowdy crowd,  but the owners say they've done what they can to make it a safe environment.

Including last night's murders of 23-year-old Jerro Toye and 22-year-old Joshua Walls, police have investigated three murders, six robberies, four aggravated assaults, and numerous thefts.

The new owners say they added surveillance and security and the bar is safe, but neighbors say it's bad news and needs to be shut down.

When Mun Mun Patel took over AppleJax Sports bar in January of last year, she says she brought changes to the establishment. "I have done everything in my power to make safe environment and happy place for everybody and everybody loves coming over there."

But what happened Wednesday night, Patel says, was out of her control. "Nothing happened inside the club so we couldn't have known that anything like this could have happened outside the club."

She says a person or people came inside and the victims left with them. Minutes later, the young men, both regular patrons of the club were dead. "They were regular customers of our club and whoever comes regularly they are like family for us so I do feel for their loss."

Nearby business owner Larry Mathis says he would like to lose the club from the neighborhood. He says changes of ownership haven't seemed to make any difference. He's been here for 15 years and in the past 10 has seen more than a handful of robberies, aggravated assaults and now, three murders.

"It even brings about fear into the neighborhood. I think the best thing to do is shut it down, close this place down. I want to see it shut down. Not tomorrow, but today," said Mathis.

But Patel says she hopes her club will continue to operate safely and she'll do what she can to make that happen.

Patel told us since she has taken ownership of the club, not a single call has been made to police regarding violent activity. The police report backs her up. There have been only three reports of larceny since she bought the club.

Patel also says surveillance video captured the victims walking outside last night. Her staff shared that video with police.

• Albany Police Department INCIDENT REPORT 

For 1303 E Broad Ave (AppleJax)

2001 - Present

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