Man charged in shooting at Pravda nightclub in downtown Wilmington makes first court appearance
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - One person is in the hospital with serious injuries and another is in custody following a shooting at Pravda nightclub in downtown Wilmington, according to police.
Per the Wilmington Police Department, officers responded to the nightclub just before 2 a.m. Sunday, April 14, after hearing gunshots coming from inside the club.
“A large crowd fled outside and officers immediately ran towards the sound of the gunfire,” a WPD release states. “A suspect was quickly identified and taken into custody after a brief foot pursuit. A victim was located inside of the business and officers provided aid until EMS arrived.”
Police confirmed another person was also shot but is expected to be okay.
29-year-old Antonio Beatty was taken into custody and is facing charges of:
- Attempted first-degree murder
- Assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury
- Carrying a concealed weapon
Beatty appeared in court on Monday and asked for a court-appointed lawyer. His bond was set at $750,000 secured.
District Attorney Ben David’s office said Monday that Beatty fired multiple shots in the club and hit one of the victims in the back. Prosecutors said video footage appeared to show Beatty and the victim sitting together and Beatty allegedly firing shots as the victim turned to leave.
Per the DA, Beatty was found down the street with a handgun in his pocket,.
Police believe this was an isolated incident and that the public is safe.
Beatty was previously charged with the murder of 25-year-old Carlton Whitley in 2015. Whitley had been found shot in a parking lot in the 3500 block of Metting Road. Beatty was found not guilty in 2022 after sitting in jail for seven years.
“I said at the time that we are not sending him a letter of apology,” said District Attorney Ben David. “We really believe that we had the right person on trial and we also respect the process. That is, if a jury has returned a verdict after hearing everything, we’re going to respect that even if we respectfully disagree with the outcome.”
Pravda posted a statement about the shooting Sunday.
“Our hearts are heavy after the senseless violent incident that happened inside our business last night at 2am,” Pravda said on Facebook. “The safety and well-being of our customers and employees has always been our top priority. We commend our brave security staff who were instrumental in assisting the police in the immediate apprehension and arrest of the suspect and helping our patrons safely exit. We are cooperating fully with law enforcement as they investigate this deplorable event. As details continue to emerge, this appears to be an isolated incident between two individuals.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and his family. We are shocked and saddened how one person’s random heinous act can negatively affect so many people, and we remain extremely dedicated to ensuring the safety of our patrons and our downtown community.”
The shooting has also sparked a conversation about safety in downtown Wilmington.
“Unfortunately, there are a few nightclubs that are known bad actors and consistent catalysts for violent crimes in our downtown,” City Councilman Luke Waddell said in a Facebook post. “It’s time we authorize and direct our law enforcement to focus on bringing these known bad actors to account and demand they operate to the standard the rest of our downtown establishments abide by. We have made great strides in our beautiful, historic downtown - City leaders (myself included) should not stand idly by while a few seek to destroy it.”
David, meanwhile, is hopeful this case will go to trial faster than Beatty’s previous case.
“We need to move these cases,” said David. “We need to make sure that when they get into the criminal justice system, we find a way to try them early, because justice delayed is justice denied. And it’s also the case that these cases don’t get better with time. It’s not like a fine wine.”
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