Hilltop sports bar plagued by gun violence agrees to new safety measures

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Owners of a sports bar in the Hilltop neighborhood in southwest Columbus have made an agreement to enact new safety measures to curb gun violence.

The office of Columbus city attorney Zach Klein announced that Cain's Sports Bar on Sullivant Avenue will have multiple security and safety upgrades after a preliminary injunction was filed in environmental court. The bar was the site of two shootings in the last 10 months during overnight hours that resulted in two deaths and four others injured.

On July 16, 2022 at 2 a.m., two men were killed and two others were wounded in a shooting at the bar. Two suspects, Kacee Kenner and Anthony Davis, were charged with murder in connection to the double homicide. On March 4, three people were shot outside of the bar just after 2:20 a.m. following a fight. All three victims did not sustain serious injuries.

As part of the new safety measures, the bar must be closed by 2 a.m. for the next four weeks and stop selling alcohol by 1:30 a.m. Additionally, they will have to hire security personnel and have them staffed at the bar from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. Thursday through Sunday. The bar will also receive a reassessment of security staffing in one years time.

The agreement also states that Columbus police is authorized to arrest any non-employees loitering after 2 a.m. near the building. The city and the bar's owners will re-meet on June 29 for a status conference.