Sheriff on Black Gang Shootout: “More Power to Them, That’s What They Do.”
“They just flock to that location. That’s just a place for them.”
After a Sunday shootout between rival Black gangs at a predominantly Black nightclub, Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith said he was “not concerned about it” and only concerned about what happens with a “legitimate legal person” whatever that means.
KLTV:
A Sunday morning shooting at a nightclub involved rival gangs and multiple shooters, according to the Smith County sheriff.
Sheriff Larry Smith said the man who was killed in the shooting at Valley Blues Club, located in the 5200 block of County Road 486, was Aaron Lamar Jackson, 23, of Tyler. Aaron Gordon Johnson, 23, of Tyler, was injured and is still in a hospital.
Smith said many guns and different kinds of shell casings were recovered at the scene. He said investigators served search warrants and recovered additional guns. He said the evidence will help investigators determine who shot Jackson and Johnson.
The shooting took place at a club called Valley Blues. A quick view of Valley Blues’ Facebook page indicates it’s a very classy joint.
Sheriff Smith held a press conference where he said he didn’t blame the shooting on the club but said “They just flock to that location. That’s just a place for them.”
When a reporter asked what gangs were involved, Sheriff Smith said he “didn’t have it written down right now.”
Asked if there would be more incidents involving gang shootings, Sheriff Smith gave the following statement:
I’m not concerned about it because the only one I’m concerned about is the legitimate legal person, people operating in Smith county, who live in Smith county, the citizens of Smith county who are not out here shooting one another.
-Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith
Sheriff Smith would later promote the idea of the gang members finding a “hayfield somewhere” to have a shootout and said they “just weren’t raised right.”
You can watch the full press conference here:
Sheriff Smith faced criticism in the past for releasing illegals back into the community if ICE didn’t pick them up in time:
According to KLTV, Valley Blues released a statement saying it would implement a membership only policy to keep the club safe.