Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli and the Pennsylvania State Police Liquor Enforcement unit have filed an emergency injunction to temporarily close the Elks Lodge in New Kensington. 

The emergency injunction was filed after a deadly shooting earlier this month. 

On December 6, around 3 a.m., police were called to the Elks Lodge on 3rd Avenue, and once they arrived, they found a man had been shot. He was taken to the hospital, where he ultimately died. 

"Enough is enough. The people of New Kensington do not deserve the persistent disturbances and violence that occur at this establishment," Ziccarelli said in a statement provided to KDKA-TV. "We are going to proceed in our efforts to curtail the unacceptable behavior that continues to plague this neighborhood."

According to the district attorney's office, since 2022, New Kensington Police and Westmoreland County detectives have been called to the Elks Lodge for what they described as an "inordinate number of incidents." 

They said that as many as 32 incidents have been reported in the last three years, and they often include violence, guns, fighting, controlled substances, and other boisterous conduct. The lodge also has reportedly failed to adhere to the regulations set forth by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board and violated a conditional license agreement while appealing the LCB's refusal to renew its license. 

Brother of Elks Lodge bouncer arrested for homicide

The early morning, deadly shooting on December 6 ended with the arrest of Steffon Ballard. 

Ballard, the brother of the bouncer, was accused of accidentally shooting his brother after they got into a fight with another man in the parking lot of the Elks Lodge. Ballard had used his gun to hit the man, but it ended up firing and shooting his brother in the leg. 

Jeffery, the brother, died due to exsanguination from a gunshot wound to the upper left thigh, and his death was ruled a homicide.  

Last week, Steffon Ballard was taken into custody and arraigned on charges of criminal homicide, attempted homicide, aggravated assault, and a firearms violation.