Crime & Safety

Red Rock Cafe Closes After Massive Brawl

"One minute it was totally calm and the next minute it just busted out into a riot," a security guard told reporters.

A handwritten note on bright yellow paper reading "Temperly Closed Thank-You" (sic) was taped to the inside of 's front door Monday, a day after

Police said the fight started at 1:30 a.m. Sunday between two women inside the bar before spilling outside and escalating. One man suffered a gunshot wound and five men were stabbed, police said. None of the injuries were life-threatening.

As of Monday afternoon, police have no one in custody and no description of any suspects, Montgomery County police spokesperson Lucille Bauer told Patch. She said police were depending on information from witnesses and participants, and they have gotten little so far.

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"This is going to be a difficult investigation because it involves a lot of young people from across the Washington, DC, metropolitan area who have no ties to Montgomery County and simply came out for the event," Bauer said.

Police are hoping that once the victims recover from their injuries they might "have a clearer vision of what went on," Bauer said.

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The bar, located at 385 Muddy Branch Road in the Festival Shopping Center, was hosting a Rapper Karaoke Night, which attracted a large, young adult audience from around the region, police said.

New Red Rock Cafe had five security guards on duty the night of the incident, according to a report by FOX 5, and one of the guards said the situation turned ugly in an instant.

"[It was] total chaos, people running, using salt shakers as weapons," security guard Scott Smith told FOX 5. "I've never seen anything like it in my life. One minute it was totally calm and the next minute it just busted out into a riot."

B.J. Mofid—owner of , a neighboring restaurant in the Festival Shopping Center—told FOX 5 that violence after rap nights at Red Rock Cafe is not uncommon.

Patch's attempts to reach a representative from the New Red Rock Cafe on Monday were unsuccessful.

Have you ever been to the New Red Rock Café? Share your experience in the comments below.


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