Man killed in 2015 at now-closed Adrianna's, a venue with history of violent incidents
The aunt of a 26-year-old man who was killed at the former Adrianna's nightclub in Markham two years ago has filed a lawsuit alleging club officials knew it attracted a dangerous crowd but failed to take steps to ensure customers' safety.
Christopher Hooper was shot and killed at Adrianna's in March 2015 while attending a performance by hip-hop artist Future. His aunt, Jennel Hooper, filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court against the club Tuesday. Another lawsuit, filed against the club earlier this month on behalf of Kamau Tammu Mason, alleges Mason was “trampled by a stampeding crowd of patrons” after gunshots were fired.
“Christopher Hooper's death is a tragedy that could have and should have been prevented,” attorney James J. Gay, who is handling Hooper's lawsuit, said in a statement. “This suit was filed to bring justice to Christopher's family, including his 5-year-old son who will now grow up without a father.”
The Daily Southtown previously exposed a long history of violence at Adrianna's before the club was renamed and apparently taken over by new ownership. Under the name Adrianna's, the nightclub saw at least eight people shot, two fatally, between Christmas Eve 2010 and July, police and court records show.
The popular club was renamed Stadium Plus last summer, but closed in October after police fatally shot a man outside the nightclub. Police, who had responded to calls of fights in the club's back parking lot, said at the time the man threatened them with a weapon.
A Southtown investigation found that Markham had not cited Adrianna's for anything worse than using a fire hydrant without permission. Instead, the city gave the property developers more than $900,000 in tax breaks. Markham Mayor David Webb Jr. also spent at least $127,000 in campaign funds at Adrianna's banquet hall, records show.
Hooper's and Mason's lawsuits are not the first two to name Adrianna's — at least nine others have been filed against the club over the years.
Both lawsuits were filed against Adrianna's and corporate entities alleged in the lawsuit to be connected with the club or property. They also name Alicia Finlay and Ron Finlay, who are officials tied to the club.
Alicia Finlay, who was listed as “secretary” on an Adrianna's liquor license and who signed a redevelopment agreement with 163rd and Dixie Highway, did not respond to requests for comment. A woman who answered her phone referred questions to a phone number belonging to Ron Finlay.
Ron Finlay, who is listed as a landlord for Adrianna's on liquor license applications and is identified in separate court records as the club's owner as well as its general manager, declined to comment.
Hooper's lawsuit alleges that the defendants “knew that the nature of its business, its past history of criminal activity on the premises, its hours of operation and the location of the premises attracted a dangerous clientele with gang affiliations and that numerous shootings had taken place on the premises, including in the building and parking lot following altercations that began in the premises.”
Still, the lawsuit alleges, the defendants “took no affirmative steps to increase its security, properly train its security personnel, provide proper lighting on its premises, or to take other reasonable steps to ensure the safety of its patrons once violent confrontations became imminent.” The lawsuit lists a series of “negligent acts or omission” it alleges Adrianna's and the other defendants may have failed to take.
Mason's lawsuit alleges that before the “stampede” that left him injured, “defendants were aware it attracted a crowd with a propensity for violence and heavy drinking.” It, too, lists a series of steps it alleges Adrianna's and the other defendants may have “carelessly and negligently” allowed or failed to take.
“As a result of the prior crimes, lawsuits, complaints and type of crowd attracted to defendants' establishment, defendants knew or should have known of the risk of criminal action at the club,” the lawsuit states.
An attorney for Mason did not return a message seeking comment.
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