Man, 29, stabbed to death in Walsall nightclub as murder probe launched
A MURDER investigation has been launched after a man was stabbed to death at a nightclub.
The attack, at Valesha’s nightclub in Walsall, which is known locally as Colliseum, occurred just after 5am.
The 29-year-old victim was rushed to hospital but died at around 6am.
No arrests have been made yet, but cops believe there had been a fight before the attack.
According to a witness an argument between at least two revellers descended into violence inside the club and chaos erupted as people scrambled to get out.
The man, who did not want to be named, told Birmingham Live: “There was a scuffle or fight in the club. I’ve gone out the front and the guy has got blood on his face. The guy was lying in the doorway.
“An argument started between a couple of people. The next minute there was a bit of a scuffle. The bouncers were on it. It looked like they were fighting.
“Lots of people were everywhere, near the cloakroom where the guy was lying on the floor. There was shouting, screaming, crying. I saw blood. Then the paramedics arrived.”
The club had recently rebranded from its familiar name of Coliseum.
Owner Valesha Anderson said: “I was upstairs at the time so didn’t see anything.
“I’m really sad to see what’s happened. I only opened in October. I wanted to make it a fun place where people could have a drink and celebrate with their friends and now this has happened. It’s a shame for it to be ruined.”
Officers have urged anyone who had been at the club at the time to come forward.
Police said the man’s family had been informed.
Det Insp Ade George of the West Midlands Police said: “The events this morning are tragic and shocking, a man has sadly lost his life and we’ll be offering as much support as we can to his family during this deeply distressing time.
“Our priority is catching those responsible. While we’ve spoken to a number of people who were inside the club at the time, we still need to hear from anyone who was there and who saw, or may have filmed, what happened”.
The incident comes just over a month after Bailey Atkinson was killed by an armed gang in Walsall town centre.
A police spokesperson said: “We understand the concerns around recent knife crime in Walsall town centre, and neighbourhood officers will be patrolling the area over the coming days to offer reassurance”.