Police are still searching for the people responsible for killing a 24-year-old Bakersfield man in a hookah lounge parking lot Sunday morning. But the owner of this lounge said his business is getting a bad reputation for something he had nothing to do with.
This is the second shooting in a Bakersfield hookah lounge parking lot in this year.
The owner of King Tut Lounge and Cafe said there was a special party at his Panama Lane location Saturday night, which brought out the crowds.
But he said his store was closed before the shooting happened.
Bakersfield police say 24-year-old Brandon Smith was shot in the head in this parking lot, around 3 Sunday morning.
Authorities believe the shooting was gang related. The initial police report said the shooting happened outside the parking lot of King Tut's Hookah Lounge, although there are several other businesses, around. Owner of King Tut, Martin Seleem is upset his business is being associated.
"It's so bad," said Seleem, "Why just my address or my business. It's a lot of businesses around us."
A hookah lounge is where people smoke flavored tobacco out of a glass pipe. There are four hookah lounges in Bakersfield. Back in April there was a shooting early in the morning at Hookah and Cigar Lounge on California Avenue. Seleem said you can't connect that shooting with his bar.
"There's different crowd, different people in different areas. Every area has his own people. I think over there it's a little different than anywhere else," said Seleem.
Seleem said every person is checked for ID and must apply to a certain dress code to get into his business.
King Tut's Panama Lane location was closed Monday night for the holiday but should reopen next weekend.
