Ybor has always been a big attraction in Tampa, to tourist and residents. Sure, there are a few fights that break out on the street. That’s normal. That’s a typical  night  in the small city.

   With three streets filled with clubs, what would you expect? But recently, the situation is out of  hand. In the past few weeks, there have been multiple shootings in this party town, mostly around the night clubs.

   You used to be able to walk down the Ybor strip and the most trouble you’d find would be person asking you for change, or a guy begging for your number.

   Now things have changed. One of Tampa’s former biggest clubs, Empire, was recently forced to close after a shooing last month that left a teen dead.

   HCC student Paige  Jones says, “Sometimes it’s hard to get the courage and go out because you never know how the night will end. You may be caught in a crowd that gets too rowdy and a gun  pops off. A bullet has no name on it.”

   It’s not just teen clubs having problems. Recently, at club Manila, a gunman fired in the parking lot around 5 AM, well after closing time. During the incident, five people  were injured  with four having minor injuries.

   How can you let 1,000 people in a building that looks small enough to hold a class, puzzles me, but it seems you may have to lower the capac- ity to give more people room because you know if some- body steps on somebody’s shoe or bumps into them, then it’s about to go down.

   John Edwards says, “I used to be a party animal and go out all the time, but after these events, back to back, I realized I need to calm down.”

   Maybe that’s what we should all do.  Just calm down. Take a break from all the parties and clubbing and drinking and just enjoy time with loved ones.