It’s been a violent year in Albany, a city that's seen 38 shootings and 54 total victims since the start of 2021, with three of them occurring over the last four days.

Mayor Kathy Sheehan declared a state of emergency Friday night in response to the ongoing gun violence.

The city also immediately shut down Cafe Hollywood, a bar on Lark Street.

“This is an establishment that has been a source of trouble, and it has escalated to the point that we took this action,” Sheehan said.

What You Need To Know

  • There have been 38 shootings and 54 shooting victims, including three in the last four days, in Albany

  • Mayor Kathy Sheehan declared a state of emergency as a result of the uptick in violence in the city

  • The declaration immediately shuts down Cafe Hollywood, which officials said appeared to have a connection to the shooting on Willett Street Friday morning

Officials say the business appears to have a connection to the shooting on Willett Street on Friday morning. Additionally, city officials say there have been more than 20 calls received by the Albany Police Department regarding Cafe Hollywood over the past three months.

Collin Rost, the owner of Cafe Hollywood, says he feels unfairly targeted.

“If we feel that somebody out in the public is unsafe, or they’re being unsafe to our neighborhood, then we’re going make a call of service," Rost said. "And to be dinged for that, like that some sort of a violation, no, I mean, that's what the police are there for."

He says there were multiple shootings that took place in the city after his business was shut down.

"Certainly, we didn’t believe that shutting down one business was going to put an end to the gun epidemic that exists in the city and across this country," Sheehan said. "But with respect to that specific location, given the number of violent incidents that have occurred in close proximity or inside that establishment, I felt that it was very important for us to act."

She says in terms of what else is being done, the city has made funding available to community organizations for violence-prevention initiatives.