Area man charged in club shooting
JANESVILLE — A former Rockford, Ill., man was charged Monday in Rock County Court as a result of a shooting that injured three people Jan. 20 in the town of Beloit.
Antwaan D. Griffin, 26, Beloit, is charged with first-degree recklessly endangering safety and carrying a concealed weapon. His bond was set Monday at $5,000 cash.
Griffin is accused of firing between eight and 12 shots around bar time Sunday, Jan. 20, outside Silver Slipper Saloon and Gentleman's Club, 1901 Wisconsin Ave., town of Beloit, according to the criminal complaint filed Monday in court.
The bar formerly was known as The Bear Chest.
Griffin was part of an energetic crowd leaving the bar around 2 a.m., according to the criminal complaint. He got into a silver Chevrolet Impala with at least two other men.
One of those men told police the fight started when someone swung a punch at him, according to the criminal complaint.
Shots then were fired. A Silver Slipper bouncer said the shots came from the Impala.
Two people in the crowd were driven by friends to Beloit Memorial Hospital where they were treated for gunshot wounds.
South Beloit, Ill., police stopped a car matching the Impala's description. The car had a bullet hole on the back passenger-side door, according to the complaint.
The driver of the Impala was grazed on the head by a bullet. Emergency personnel treated him at the scene of the arrest.
Griffin and another passenger in the Impala said they were threatened while inside Silver Slipper. They said Griffin fired two shots after someone else fired shots, according to the complaint.
If convicted, Griffin faces 13 years in prison or fines of $35,000.
His next court appearance is scheduled Tuesday, Feb. 5.
Court documents list Griffin's address as Rockford, Ill., but his attorney on Monday said he lives in Beloit with a relative.
