Licenses committee recommends revocation of Element Lounge after two shootings tied to activity near venue

A licensing committee overseeing Milwaukee business permits recommended revocation of Element Lounge’s licenses on Oct. 21 after Milwaukee police presented a sworn complaint linking two recent shootings to activity outside the venue.

Police detectives told the committee that on June 15 and again on July 12 officers were called to incidents just outside 618 N. Water St. In the July incident two people were killed and several others wounded; detectives described a pattern of vehicles driving onto the block, occupants firing into a crowd that had gathered outside the club, and subsequent media scrutiny and community alarm. The committee voted 4–1 to forward the revocation recommendation to the full Milwaukee Common Council.

Why it matters: Downtown business and tourism representatives told the committee that repeated acts of violence anywhere in the central business district damage the city’s reputation and can harm convention and visitor bookings that support hotels, restaurants and thousands of jobs. BID 21, the downtown business improvement district, and Visit Milwaukee urged the committee to weigh the neighborhood and economic impacts alongside local public‑safety evidence.

What police told the committee: Captain Robert Thiel and detectives described evidence the committee cited in its motion: surveillance video recovered by officers; witness interviews describing a physical altercation that escalated outside the club; and the recovery of shell casings and ammunition consistent with gunfire aimed at the crowd. Detectives also said officers had previously worked with the venue on safety planning but that the shootings represented a pattern of violence in the vicinity that continued despite prior disciplinary action for a 2021 incident at the same address.

What supporters and neighbors said: Representatives of the downtown BID and neighborhood groups described how the two homicides and other violent incidents have raised safety concerns for residents, workers and visitors. Multiple neighbors and business owners urged the committee to take public‑safety risks seriously; one downtown business representative said a meeting planner who saw the aftermath of the July shooting had reconsidered hosting an event in Milwaukee.

What the licensee said: Agent Rajvir (Raj) Baines and counsel told the committee the venue had cooperated with police, supplied surveillance footage, and that the business had recently changed ownership (June 1, 2025). They said the new ownership planned operational changes and was willing to work with neighbors and police. Baines and witnesses for the venue also emphasized security procedures in place inside the bar and argued that a drive‑by style shooting on the street could not have been fully prevented by in‑house measures.

How the committee decided: After testimony from police, community stakeholders, BID leaders and company representatives—as well as cross‑examination by counsel—the committee voted 4–1 to recommend revocation to the Milwaukee Common Council. The committee’s report will include its findings of fact and conclusions of law; the agent will receive a copy and has the right to file written exceptions to the report (due to the City Clerk by Oct. 29). The Common Council will consider the file on Nov. 4.

What’s next: The committee’s recommendation is advisory; the full Common Council makes the final decision on whether the licenses are revoked, renewed with conditions, or renewed without conditions. The committee provided immediate procedural guidance about how to submit written exceptions and the schedule for the council hearing.

A note on procedure and evidence: The licensing committee heard sworn testimony from Milwaukee Police Department detectives and a range of neighborhood representatives; it considered police incident reports, surveillance footage described in testimony, and statements from business representatives. The committee separated discussion of neighborhood impacts and operational practices, but its recommendation rested primarily on the preponderance of police evidence that two serious shootings had a specific nexus to activity outside the licensed premises.