2 dead, 22 wounded in Palmetto nightclub shooting

Two people are dead and 22 were injured in an overnight shooting at a Palmetto nightclub.

At about 12:30 a.m. today, two gunmen opened fire on the crowd at the front of Club Elite, at 704 10th Street West. A man and woman both died at the scene: Trayon Goff, 25, of Palmetto and Gwenette Matthews, 38, of Bradenton.

Meantime, six other seriously injured victims were taken to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, said Palmetto Police Lt. Scott Tyler. Two were in critical condition this afternoon, two were in fair condition and two had been discharged, a nursing supervisor said.

Another 16 victims were taken to Manatee Memorial Hospital. Fifteen were treated and released, and one was admitted to the hospital. The person who was admitted has non-life-threatening injuries, a nursing supervisor said.

The Palmetto Police Department and the Manatee County Sheriff's Office are working the shootings, Tyler said. Investigators have good leads on the suspects, Tyler said, but have not revealed any names. At least one of the gunmen was believed to have used a rifle, he said.

"As yet we don't know who the intended targets were," Tyler said. "To shoot into a crowd of people knowing that more than one person's going to be hit – I can't imagine. Heinous is a good word for it. We're very anxious to get these people off the street. They're clearly very dangerous."

Palmetto is a small city just south of Tampa Bay and north of Bradenton. Police have responded to previous incidents at Club Elite, Tyler said, but he wouldn't describe it as a "problem club."

One person who was inside the club at the time of the shootings, an event promoter who gave his name as Blu Chip, said he didn't see much because everything happened outside the club's door. Initially, the scene was chaotic, but he and others began helping police get people to area hospitals, he said.

The nightclub tried to appeal to people 25 and older and had a dress code to try to prevent violence, he said. Most people there Friday night were dressed in gowns, vests and other fine clothes, Blu Chip said. He said he didn't know what prompted the shooting.

"It was a good turnout, and so many good people that didn't have anything to do with that got caught in the crossfire," he said.

The venue's owner, ZeZe Singleton, could not be reached for comment. Trina Rozier, who owns the building that houses Club Elite, said Singleton had worked with police to try to prevent violence.

"He's made every attempt to run a reputable business," Rozier said.

Nonetheless, police have visited the club repeatedly this year. According to a police department log, the agency has visited Club Elite dozens of times on incident calls.

Also, the club was the scene of a shooting in December in which a 23-year-old man died. Prosecutors determined the shooter in that case acted in self defense.

Palmetto Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant said today's shooting bucks a recent trend of less crime in the city. Crime is down 28 percent this year compared with last year, she said.

"For us, we've just been working so hard to reduce incidents, and then to have something like this it's just so disappointing," the mayor said.

Outside city limits, though, Manatee County has seen a couple of shootings in recent months, said Tyler, the police lieutenant. Also, a shooting marred a Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade just outside Palmetto early this year. Tyler couldn't say if the previous incidents were related to this morning's club shooting.

People with any information about the crime are asked to call the Palmetto Police Department at 941-723-4587 or the Manatee County Crime Stoppers at 1-866-634-8477. Callers may remain anonymous and might be eligible for a reward.

News Channel 8 reporter Joshua Green contributed to this report.

msasso@tampatrib.com

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