Two shot at Halloween party at Hampton Bays club
Two people were shot early Friday morning at Dream, a nightclub at 7 Canal Rd. in Hampton Bays, after a pre-Halloween costume party. (Oct. 28, 2010) Credit: James Carbone
A Coram man was one of two people shot outside a Hampton Bays nightclub after contestants in a Halloween party that he promoted fought over who had on the best costume, according to police.
Southampton Town police said Shawn Badgett, 35, was shot twice but did not have life-threatening wounds shortly before 4 a.m. Friday during a scuffle at Dream Night Club at 17 Canal Rd. Suffolk authorities say Badgett is a major drug dealer.
Badgett, the party's promoter, was taken by private car to Stony Brook University Medical Center, where he was treated and released, police said.
The second victim, a 64-year-old man from Riverhead, also was shot twice. He was taken to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police were withholding his name pending notification of relatives. The shooter has not been caught.
"There was a costume-judging contest . . . two contestants got into a fight and it became a full-blown fight inside the club," said Southampton Town Police Det. Sgt. Randy Hintze.
Police said one of the fighting contestants was dressed as a cave woman; the other's costume was unknown.
As the fight grew, someone involved but not a contestant ran out to the parking lot, got a gun and "approached the entrance while firing the weapon," Hintze said, hitting the two men, who were near the doorway.
The shooter was dressed as a character from the 1995 movie "Dead Presidents," in which bank robbers covered their faces in white makeup.
Badgett has several pending felony drug charges, including criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminally using drug paraphernalia, criminal sale of a controlled substance and conspiracy, according to court documents.
Suffolk jail officials said Badgett posted $250,000 cash bail on July 27. Badgett's attorney, Paul Gianelli of Hauppauge, could not be reached for comment Friday.
Southampton detectives are asking anyone with information about the shooting to call 631-702-2230 or the crime tips hotline at 631-728-3454. Information can also be e-mailed to crimetips@southamptontownny.gov.
