Spokane concert venue closed due to shootings

SPOKANE — A downtown Spokane concert venue that was closed by police because of shootings says it’s working with authorities to reopen.

The Knitting Factory has canceled an event this Friday as a cooling-off gesture.

Police Chief Frank Straub closed the venue after four people were wounded in two separate shootings early Monday near the club. He called it a public safety problem because of several shootings over the past year.

Managers have 20 days to appeal the closure.

Club operator Greg Marchant said he’s talking with police and the mayor’s office to support the shooting investigations and the safety of patrons. He said a concert venue has operated at the location for nearly 10 years, and that it is difficult to control what happens outside the building.

Known to fans as The Knit, the Knitting Factory seats about 2,000 people for concerts, and books many national acts.

No one was killed after two people were shot just after 2:15 a.m. Monday in a parking lot across the street from the Knitting Factory. Two more people were shot about 30 minutes later outside an apartment complex. Straub said both shootings were gang-related, but whether they are connected is still under investigation.