Comedian Craig Robinson was forced to cancel his North Carolina comedy club show on Saturday night when an active shooter stormed the venue and ordered everybody out.
Known as “Darryl” by millions of fans of “The Office,” Robinson, 50, described the disturbing event as “wild” in a video he posted to Instagram following the evacuation in Charlotte.
“I’m performing at the Comedy Zone in Charlotte, North Carolina,” Robinson said. “There was an active shooter in the comedy club.”
“It was wild,” he continued. “I was in the green room and they’re like ‘everybody get out!’ It was a moment for sure.”
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He and others from the club were moved to a venue nearby where Big Time Rush, a band spawned a la The Monkees from a musical comedy show, was performing.
“So they moved us over to this,” Robinson said. “There’s a concert going o so I thought I’d just share with y’all.”
“Again,” he said, “there’s an active shooter at the club I was at, so we had to run over here to this concert.”
“Big Time Rush to the rescue,” he quipped.
According to police, miraculously, no one was hurt in the shocking incident.
The shooter reportedly entered the club just after 9 p.m.
By approximately 9:15, police were on-scene, a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police spokesperson told the Washington Post.
While the suspect’s name has not yet been released, police did confirm that he has a prior felony conviction, The Post reports.
“He brandished a firearm inside the business, which was quickly evacuated,” police said. “The suspect then discharged his weapon. There were no injuries and the suspect was taken into custody.”
Stand-up comedy, it would seem, is becoming an increasingly dangerous career choice.
As BizPac Review reported in May, stand-up legend Dave Chapelle was charged on-stage by a 23-year-old with a fake gun sporting a very real folding knife.
Isaiah Lee stormed the stage and tackled Chapelle during the “Netflix is a Joke” comedy festival at the Hollywood Bowl. Actor and friend Jamie Foxx rushed alongside security personnel to Chappelle’s defense.
Again, mercifully, no one was hurt in the assault.
“Whenever you’re in trouble,” joked Chapelle following the event, “Jamie Foxx will show up in a sheriff’s hat.”
Details emerge about attack on Dave Chapelle, including photos of battered perp and frightening weapon https://t.co/KHovlnn3LG pic.twitter.com/fKdzn5MuoV
— BPR (@BIZPACReview) May 6, 2022
In a follow-up post on Sunday, Robinson thanked the Comedy Zone security team, fans, the police, and God, and, in a humbling act of kindness, he expressed his best wishes for the shooter.
“About last night…” he began. “Thank you to the Comedy Zone security and staff for getting us to safety quickly.”
“Thank you everyone for your outpouring of support and well wishes,” he continued. “Thank you CMPD for swift action in apprehending the shooter. Hopefully he gets the help he needs.”
“Thanks be to God no one was hurt,” he added. “Please stay safe everyone.”
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Melissa Fine is the former executive editor of Casino Player, Strictly Slots, and Poker
Digest magazines. She is a UCLA graduate, news junkie, and dedicated Stargate SG-
1 fan. Melissa currently lives with her dog and two cats in a tiny town in the Sierra
Nevada foothills.
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