Ocean Springs will ask court to close Scratch Kitchen after deadly mass shooting
The city of Ocean Springs will go to court and ask a judge to close The Scratch Kitchen, the Ocean Springs Board of Alderpeople unanimously decided Tuesday, after a mass shooting at the downtown bar and restaurant.
Mayor Kenny Holloway said the city plans to cite that shooting and one other outside the business during Black spring break, plus code violations, in a Chancery Court complaint. The suspect, identified as 22-year-old Fadarius Davon Williams, is accused of shooting and killing a 19-year-old and injuring six others Friday night at a Cinco de Mayo party at the packed restaurant and bar.
The city hopes a judge will hold a hearing Friday to consider the city’s petition to temporarily close the business. A second court hearing would determine whether the business should be permanently closed.
The business has been closed as a crime scene since the Friday shooting.
Scratch Kitchen owner Brittany Cruso Alexander did not attend the meeting or respond to a request for comment about the city’s plans.
City officials discussed the legal action in a closed meeting after Holloway spoke in an open meeting about the shooting. Residents and business people filled all the chairs and spilled into the hallway.
Many business owners feel Ocean Springs’ allure has been tarnished by the shootings. The city has had a total of four shootings, three of them downtown, in the last six months.
The small downtown has grown into a popular attraction for dining, shopping and late-night entertainment, but some residents are now comparing it to a miniature New Orleans. They prize the city for its quaint charm, which they fear is disappearing.
Holloway told residents that the city plans to “make modifications to our business climate for everyone’s safety.” He did not elaborate on potential modifications in the meeting but later said they could include curfews.
He also told the Sun Herald, “We want to get some feedback from business owners about what they need from the city and what we need from them.”
This story was originally published May 9, 2023 at 2:15 PM.
