(COLORADO SPRINGS) – Police continue to search for a suspect in a shooting outside a Colorado Springs Daiquiri and Cocktail Lounge. Three people were shot and a local business owner is now speaking out about his memories of that night.
Lux Daiquiri Lounge, located near Colorado Springs' Nob Hill neighborhood, has been open for just over a year. The lounge's owner, Latrina Ollie, wants to let the community know that the incident happened in the parking lot outside.
Early on the morning of Saturday, March 30th, the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) responded to a shooting at a lounge on Galley Road. When officers arrived, they saw several cars drive away.
“Our weekends are busy,” Ollie said.
Ollie has owned the lounge since February 2023 and said last Saturday was her first time and the new lounge.
“At the time I was in the back room of my office doing some paperwork and I was actually watching everything in real time on camera,” Olly explained. “It was an unfortunate situation.”
Both victims were taken to the hospital, and one, later identified as Jahidi Williams, 22, of Colorado Springs, succumbed to her injuries.
Provided by: Colorado Springs Police Department
“At the end of the day, someone lost a child, someone lost a father,” Ollie said. “There are people who are traumatized by this event.”
Now, the owner is doing everything she can to assist CSPD in their investigation and identify the suspect, while continuing to welcome the community to her small business.
“It's unfortunate when things happen that are out of your control, especially as a business owner,” Olly explained. “I want to hear reviews about my drinks and things I can control. Things were tough with people who weren't in the parking lot that night.”
Luxe Daiquiri Lounge has 24/7 surveillance, with a third-party security team on duty on weekends.
“Unfortunately, one of them got shot,” Ollie said. “He is still recovering from his injuries in the hospital.”
The owner said several customers took the victim to the hospital the night of the shooting.
“I think it took about 40 minutes for the ambulance to arrive,” Olly explained. “I heard some of them say they didn't have to wait, and since Memorial Hospital is right down the street, they thought they could get there faster than the ambulance.”
The owners believe the lounge is in a safe area, but are making some changes to the lounge's policies in the wake of the shooting.
“We're now a lounge for over 30s, and we've been familiar to a lot of people since we were a previous business,” Mr Olly said. “We would like to warmly welcome these loyal customers back to our business.”
The investigation is ongoing and CSPD asked any potential witnesses or anyone with information regarding the shooting to contact CSPD at (719) 444-7000. If you wish to remain anonymous, please contact the Pikes Peak Area Crime Stoppers tip line at (719) 634-STOP (7867).
This is the ninth homicide to occur in Colorado Springs in 2024. At this point in 2023, there were five murders.
