Five questioned in shooting

ALBANY — Five men labeled “persons of interest” in a weekend shooting that left a Flovilla man dead and a security guard wounded, were being interviewed by police Monday.

Jacory Butts, Henry Wallace, Lawrence Stephens and Sean Frazier were all undergoing questioning by detectives with the Albany Police Department’s Robbery/Homicide Unit Monday, APD Spokesperson Phyllis Banks said.

A fifth person, Jason Loving, was questioned and released with no charges filed, she said.

Police are questioning the men in connection with the killing of 20-year-old Lashelton Stanford of Flovilla, who was fatally wounded at Brickhouse Productions early Sunday morning.

“Right now nothing has really changed,” Banks said. “Detectives are still speaking with the four individuals and no charges have been filed.”

Stanford’s body was transported to a state crime lab Monday for autopsy. His official cause of death hasn’t been released, although police officials say that he was shot multiple times.

The latest in an ongoing set of alleged criminal activity at the studio, Sunday’s shooting has prompted a renewed effort by city officials to shut down the facility — a process which has proven difficult in the past because the facility doesn’t have an alcohol license that can be pulled by the commission.

Ward 6 Commissioner Tommie Postell, who recently sponsored an ordinance that extended the hours legitimate businesses like bars and restaurants can be open in an effort to benefit workers who would previously be cited for merely cleaning up after patrons left, called the shooting ridiculous.

“It’s time for their doors to close,” Postell said. “What in the devil are people doing there at 5 a.m in the morning anyways? There isn’t anything but trouble that happens that late at night in a place like that.”

In 2008, owner Molly Loving was charged with violating the city code after patrons were seen leaving the facility at 4 a.m. The city code of ordinances forbids certain businesses from being open during certain hours of the night.

District Attorney Greg Edwards, whose predecessor Ken Hodges threatened shady local motels with legal action for reportedly serving as a haven for the criminal element, said that there is an active review of Brickhouse Productions and that the district attorney’s office would weigh its options.

“Like I said, there is an active review of that situation as well as of the murder investigation and that when the ‘how, when and if’ is established we’ll take the proper action,” Edwards said.

According to Deborah Kinson in the city treasurer’s office, Brickhouse Productions has yet to renew its 2010 business license, but has until March 15 to do so.

According to that license, Brickhouse does business in the movie/motion picture industry.