HAMPTON, Va. — A man was shot and killed early Saturday morning outside Karma Restaurant & Lounge in Hampton, prompting the city to immediately revoke the nightclub's operating permit following what officials called continued violations and public safety concerns.
Hampton police officers were patrolling the Lincoln Street area around 4:55 a.m. when they heard multiple gunshots. While officers responded, Hampton Public Safety Communications received several calls reporting a shooting at Karma, located in the first block of Lincoln Street.
Officers said they found a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds when they arrived at the scene. Officers rendered aid until Hampton Division of Fire and Rescue personnel arrived, but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said a verbal altercation began inside Karma Lounge and later escalated into a physical fight in the parking lot behind the business, in which a suspect shot the victim.
Following the shooting, the City of Hampton issued an immediate revocation of Use Permit 2 for Karma Restaurant and Lounge on Saturday, effectively terminating the establishment's ability to operate with alcohol.
The city said the business failed to adhere to operational requirements under Use Permit 2, despite previous enforcement actions. Hampton City Council had previously revoked the establishment's Use Permit 3, which required earlier closing hours in response to ongoing compliance and public safety concerns.
The nightclub has faced mounting scrutiny from city officials. In November, the Hampton Planning Commission recommended revoking Karma's conditional use permit after citing nearly 100 incidents at the business since January 1, 2024.
Among those incidents was a fatal shooting in the parking lot in April 2024. During a November planning commission meeting, never-before-seen security camera video from a July law enforcement compliance sweep was shown, with police claiming a member of the business's security team could be seen manipulating the clicker used to count the number of people in the business.
"Some of the stuff on this slideshow I was completely unaware of," Karma Restaurant and Lounge Owner Courtney Ray said during the November meeting.
Ray defended himself, saying he didn't know about some of the allegations and that they don't reflect who he is.
"I'm not a person or individual that attracts a lot of negativity. I have a zero policy of fighting, assaulting or anything like that," Ray said.
The owner of the shopping center where the business is located, Fran Wornom, spoke in Ray's defense, saying she doesn't believe all the calls police cite can be blamed on the business.
"He's a good tenant. He's a good man, and Dollar Tree, post office, and the market on the corner, they all love him," Wornom said.
Four commissioners voted in favor of recommending the permit revocation, while two voted against, saying they wanted to give the owner more time to address the issues raised.
City of Hampton officials say they remain committed to protecting public safety and ensuring that all businesses operate in accordance with the conditions set forth by Hampton City Council.
"We will continue to take appropriate enforcement action when those conditions are not met," the city wrote in a statement.
Officials noted that the administrative action is separate from the ongoing criminal investigation.
Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to contact the Hampton Police Division at 757-727-6111 or the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.
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