Binghamton Club May Be Locked Down After Killing

The after-hours club on Binghamton's West Side that was the scene of a deadly shooting might be shut down by the city.

Nearly two weeks after 22-year-old Brandon Hernandez was gunned down in a lot outside the Orton Avenue club entrance, Mayor Richard David announced the city has sent a "lockdown warning" to the property owner.

David said the property - which is listed in tax records as 221 Main Street - has been cited for violating zoning ordinances, operating as a place of large group assembly and installing signage without required approvals.

Records show the building is owned by J & N Realty of BC, which is located in Vestal. Owner Jalal Zuwiyya told WNBF News that he "wasn't shocked" when he received the lockdown warning notice from the city.

Zuwiyya said "what happened was terrible." He noted police investigators have indicated the Orton Avenue killing and a fatal downtown shooting six days later appeared to be linked to gang activity.

Zuwiyya said the woman who operates the after-hours club had signed a six-month lease for the site early this year. He said she told him the man who was managing the business had indicated only those over 25 years old would be allowed into the club.

The property owner said he "didn't know they needed a permit" for the operation. He said he believed the club operator now was planning to seek the necessary permits from the city.

The business operator declined to comment when she was contacted Thursday afternoon.

Broome County District Attorney Stephen Cornwell on Tuesday afternoon visited the club site. He said he was investigating the operation and looking into other similar after-hours clubs in the area.

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