Hookah lounge in Jacksonville temporarily shuts down to pay respect to victim’s family

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Family and friends identified the victim shot and killed in the parking lot of Charlie’s Liquor Store and Hookah Lounge in Normandy earlier this week. That lounge is now shut down just days after the shooting on Monday.

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A crowd filled with friends and family celebrating the life of Anthony Lewis.

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Lewis was the victim who was shot in the parking lot of Charlie’s Liquor Store and Hookah Lounge. He later died at a local hospital.

The celebration of life was held in a Winn Dixie parking lot across from Charlie’s Liquor Store.

Police believe that multiple shots were fired in the parking lot during an argument between Lewis and the suspect, who ran from the scene.

The owner of Charlie’s Liquor Store and Hookah Lounge is temporarily shutting down the lounge. This happened just days after the shooting. He said he was doing this in respect of the victim’s family. But he did not say how long the lounge would remain closed.

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One customer said she’s been going to this lounge since it opened a year ago.

“We would come into hangout and have drinks,” customer Maureen Williams said. “There were no problems. Now, they let the younger crowd come in, and things like this happen.”

The shooting happened on Memorial Day. The owner told us more than 100 people were at the hookah lounge when the shooting happened.

The owner said his business has a strict no-gun policy, and his security team was in full force when the shooting happened.

Police are still searching for a suspect. If you have any information about this case, you are asked to contact JSO.

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