RiNo's Cold Crush Closed in the Wake of Fatal Shooting and Controversy

Last weekend, 29-year-old Tyrone Adair Jr., a.k.a. rapper Bossman Goodie, was shot and killed outside Cold Crush – the live music and artistic venue at 2700 Larimer Street. Another man was left critically injured. The city posted a notice on the front door of the club Wednesday morning, suspending the bar's liquor license for 15 days and intending to pursue a public nuisance case, Westword reported.

The hip urban club draws a diverse crowd, features frequent hip-hop DJs and has great tacos outside its doors. According to owner Brian Mathenge, Cold Crush will remain closed for the foreseeable future. In an interview with Westword, he calls the venue, "an artists's haven, a place where artists, poets, musicians and those who appreciate their work can meet, mingle and eat great food."

Mathenge says the club emphasizes security while highlighting it as a welcoming environment. He acknowledges that the neighborhood has a history of gang violence, and as such he stressed that two police officers and five security guards were consistently on site, searching people as they entered the club.

Though this is not the first high-profile shooting at the venue, many frequent patrons and other community members are up in arms due to the city's response, citing disproportionate penalties for similar incidents around town.

Cold Crush is the first local closure following an act of violence, though shootout in a parking lot outside of Beta Nightclub resulted in one death and another injured party this July. "The police are making it seem like I'm a bad guy who lets gangbangers come to his club," Mathenge told Westword. "It's so far-fetched it bothers me."