ATLANTA — The owner of a Buckhead lounge where two people were shot and killed on Mother's Day was arrested on Thursday during a hearing to determine the fate of his club. Djbril Dafe, the owner of Elleven45 Lounge, was arrested for failing to appear in a separate 2022 case. He faces theft by taking, theft by deception and identity theft charges in that case.
Despite the arrest for the unrelated case, Thursday's hearing was scheduled due to a lawsuit from the City of Atlanta who wants the club to be permanently shut down. It was originally planned for June in Fulton County Superior Court. But a judge decided to issue a temporary restraining order to keep the business from opening its doors for 60 days -- pushing the hearing back to this week.
Dafe's attorneys were in the middle of arguing over why the lounge should remain open when Judge Rachelle Carnesale stopped the proceeding and announced that the businessman had a bench warrant.
“So it’s a failure to appear in Superior Court, in our complex. It’s not this court’s bench warrant, but I have to effectuate that, and I can’t let you leave," Judge Carnesale stated.
Below is the moment authorities took Dafe into custody.
Before the bench warrant announcement, several officers have taken the stand to testify about what happened moments before and after the May 12 fatal shooting at the Buckhead lounge that claimed the lives of Mari Creighton, 21, and Nakyris Ridley, 20.
Atlanta Police Department Major Benjamin Vaynes also offered more insight into the number of calls initiated regarding the club, including within the year prior to the deadly shooting.
“From May of 2023 to May of 2024, they have 270 calls for service. About 200 of those were self-initiated," Vaynes said. “We’ve received calls from people that were shot and people that were killed at that location.”
Lawyers for the defense argued most of the crimes that happen – aren’t taking place inside the club but outside in the parking lot or nearby.
The court hearing is still underway following Dafe's arrest; he chose not to return to court Thursday.
11Alive talked with Creighton's mother the day before the hearing as she still mourns the loss of her daughter. She said it never occurred to her that going to a club would claim her baby girl’s life.
“I always talked to Mari about safety and being aware of her surroundings. It never crossed my mind that someone would be in the club with a gun,” Tracey Eason said.
Legal expert Darryl Cohen told 11Alive Wednesday that he thinks the public’s safety will be the most compelling reason for the judge to grant the city’s request.
“To allow it to remain open is a death warrant for the next person or persons who go in there as patrons,” said Cohen. The legal expert also advised the judgment could be closure or another option.
“Or the judge could suspect their business licenses and make them re-apply at a later date. There are any number of things the judge could do,” Cohen said.
In addition to the city’s complaint, both families of the victims killed at the club filed lawsuits citing negligence and what they call a failure on the part of the owners to protect customers from harm.
Testimony in the hearing is still underway and is expected to continue through Friday.