Council Suspends Southside Bar After Man With Illegal Drugs Shot

Site of Primo’s Place, 1631 W. Grant St. Photo taken Feb. 27, 2024 by Sophie Bolich.

The Milwaukee Common Council voted on Tuesday to issue a 30-day suspension to Primo’s Place, citing a Jan. 1, 2023 incident during which the owner’s son was shot on-premises while carrying illegal drugs.

The southside tavern, 1631 W. Grant St., will be closed from March 8 through April 6.

The non-fatal shooting was the focal point of the tavern’s Feb. 13 hearing before the Milwaukee Licenses Committee, with questions swirling about both the motive and the aftermath of the incident.

According to a police report, officers arrived at the tavern in the early hours of the morning and found a man, who was later revealed to be owner Enrique Terrones‘ son, lying on the floor with five gunshot wounds. Witnesses told police that the man had been approaching the front entrance to the bar when an unidentified individual opened the door and shot him.

The man was transported to a hospital, where police searched his clothes and found 18 small bags of a white, powdery substance which later tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl.

The report notes that the “packaging and weight are consistent with narcotics used for street-level resale and distribution.”

During the committee meeting, area Alderman José G. Pérez expressed frustration over a lack of communication from Terrones.

“Anytime someone gets shot in your establishment, it’s serious. When there’s drugs involved, it’s even more serious,” the alderman said, adding that he only received an explanation from Terrones in the days leading up to the hearing. “I’m just concerned about it.”

Terrones, speaking through interpreter Sam Dawson, told committee members that he’s unsure why the shooter targeted his son. He also said that his son, who took several months to recover, told him he had found the drugs.

Alderman Mark Chambers, Jr. was not convinced. “You’re saying your son found 18 bags of cocaine and deadly fentanyl. You really think he found that?” he asked.

“Yes, because that’s what he told me,” Terrones responded.

Chambers continued to push the question, saying he suspects that people visit the tavern in order to “pick up their stash.” from Terrones’s son.

Perez said he felt the same. “My experience tells me that this was intentional,” he said of the shooting, adding that he doesn’t believe the son simply found the drugs.

In response to the shooting, Terrones said he installed cameras inside the tavern and would consider hiring security guards in the future. He has also banned his son from visiting the tavern.

Perez said he understands that the situation is especially difficult for Terrones, considering his son’s involvement, but said if the tavern has any issues of gunplay or drugs in the future, he would not support its license.

Chambers moved for a 30-day suspension to conclude the hearing. “Your son, unfortunately, made a decision to come into your establishment with the intent to distribute a deadly substance, poisoning our community and poisoning our city,” he said.

Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs voted against the motion at the committee meeting on Feb. 13, but was not at today’s full council meeting where the vote was unanimous for the suspension, with all 13 members present voting yes and two members, Coggs and Marina Dimitrijevic, excused for absence.

Before this incident, it had been a quiet few years for the tavern, which had once been a location for illegal drug sales, according to a police report. Two undercover narcotics investigations took place at the tavern in 2005.

On several occasions during the investigations, detectives were able to purchase cocaine from individuals inside the men’s restroom, the report stated. Three individuals were eventually arrested as a result of the investigations.

Terrones did not file written objections ahead of Tuesday’s meeting of the full council.