Fire Damages Bessemer Motorcycle Club

Published July 16, 2010 at 9:38 p.m.
A fire early Friday morning caused major damage to the Bessemer motorcycle club where a football star was killed earlier this month.
Bessemer firefighters responded to a fire call at the Gettie Boyz club around 5:30 A.M.
When they got there, the building was completely engulfed in flames.
Capt. Michael Brannon with Bessemer Fire Department said no one was inside at the time and no one was hurt.
The club has been the center of some controversy since the July 2 shooting which killed 23-year-old Maurice Thomas, a football player on scholarship with Alabama A&M.
Since the shooting, the Bessemer City Council has discussed closing down the club.
However, at this week's council meeting, Bessemer Police Chief Nathaniel Rutledge said the shooting was the first and only violent incident at the club.
He said investigators were committed to finding who was responsible for the July 2 incident.
Brannon said, the cause of Friday's fire is yet to be determined, but it's possible the fire could be related to the murder investigation.
One person, Edmond Carter of Birmingham, has been charged in connection with the shooting earlier this month.



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