Shooting at The Other Place leaves two dead

By: Max Lemanowicz

Posted: 7/1/09

At around 2 a.m. this morning, two young men were brutally wounded in front of the Other Place Club (The OP) on 5th Street.

A fight broke out shortly before the shooting and, according to several eyewitnesses, the killers may have been involved in the dispute, but it is still unknown.

It has been reported that one man died on the way to Pitt County Memorial Hospital last night and the other died at the hospital this morning.

The two victims have been identified as Charles Andrew "Drew" Kirby, a 27-year-old manager at Michaelangelo's Pizza, and Edgar Landon Blackley, 21, an ECU student.

An ECU student who wishes to remain anonymous told our reporters he was 10 feet away from the shooting. The source said, "I had my back to the wall when the shots broke out. Some people ran back into the club. Others tried to duck down. People were screaming."

When asked if anyone got a look at a license plate, the same eyewitness said, "That's the last thing that's going through your mind. It's so hard to tell in those kinds of situations."

This same eyewitness mentioned that the car actually stopped in front of the club to fire the shots and then sped off.

Recently, the Greenville Police Department has issued two warrants for one of the alleged killers, a man named James Earl Richardson, 32.

Corporal Kip Gaskins of the Greenville Police Department said, "Mr. Richardson was removed from the Other Place after some type of disturbance. After leaving, he went to his vehicle and got a weapon. He then proceeded to drive by the club firing several shots."

"I was at the back of the Other Place when I heard two shots," said Ahmet Aksoy, an ECU student, "I ran up front to try and find one of my friends and that's when I saw one of the guys lying on the ground."

When walking by the scene only hours after the event occurred, there was still evidence of the crime from the night before. Blood residues on the sidewalk and bullet holes in the windows were left over after the scene was cleared.

In walking down 5th Street, numerous television stations and media workers were taking video and interviews from witnesses.

To add to the despair within the celebrity realm, students and families in Greenville grieve for their own losses on a more personal level.

"It's sad to see good people killed in an act so violent and senseless. An unfortunate reminder that we aren't as safe as one might assume even when surrounded by friends. My thoughts and prayers go to the friends and family of the victims, and I hope this unfortunate event creates a drive for community safety to help prevent other violent crimes," said an ECU student who left OP seconds before the shooting.

The Other Place is located between Cotanche and Reade Streets, downtown on 5th Street.

If you have valuable information related to this case, please contact the Greenville Police Department at 329-4317 or Pitt-Greenville Crime Stoppers at 758-7777.

This writer can be contacted at news@theeastcarolinian.com.