Sherae Honeycutt

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Original Post

The search still continues for one of the KCK mass shooting suspects as the other suspect appears in court.

Now, there are questions about whether Tequila KC Bar should reopen. While some are saying a tragedy can happen anywhere, one business owner says it needs to be shut down.

Ana Medina owns Casa de Modas Aleman, a dress and event shop two doors down from Tequila KC. She’s been a business owner on Central Avenue for more than a decade.

“Someday something will happen there because too many people,” Medina said. “Every weekend, more and more and more.”

Medina said on Saturday evening she had a bad feeling about how the night was going to go. She said frequently there’s a large group of people at the bar and cars fill the streets.

“I’m so sad because the day before I was there and I saw too many people in the back part,” Medina said. “It was very happy, but drinking a lot and singing aloud, and I was feeling something will happen one day here.”

For the past 11 years, she’s seen good and bad changes on the block, but now after the KCK mass shooting on her block, she said the bar has to go. She said she wants the city to do what it can to close the business.

“I hope the city can. They have to close forever this place, I think so, or put more security there,” Medina said.

However, not everyone feels this way about the bar.

On Tuesday, the city’s Chamber of Commerce hosted “The Best of KCK,” an event for local businesses to come out and connect with one another. Community leaders who attended the event reacted to the shooting.

“I think it’s important for us to reiterate that and let people know that we are open for business. This is a great community. Unfortunately tragic events happen all the time,” said Daniel Silva, the president and CEO of the KCK Chamber of Commerce.

“It’s horrible for the families, but the community is coming together and we are going to help them continue growing, help them feeling good and proud of the community where they live and make their investment,” said Edgar Galicia with the Central Avenue Betterment Association.

Medina said she sees the bar as bad for her business.

“I feel so sad because business is so slow,” Medina said. “Not to many people are visiting our business. When things like this happen, I think people don’t go places that have a lot of problems.”

While everyone waits to see what happens, the bar remains locked and silent.

“This is an isolated case. We still are able to walk, shop, enjoy the moment,” Galicia said.

“Now, they have to close the business because it’s a big problem,” Medina said.

FOX4 tried several times to reach out to the owner of Tequila KC for comment, but have not heard back at the time of this article.