double shooting.

And some jobs could be lost as management grapple with the slump, said owner Mr. Charles Burgess.

He told The Royal Gazette : "Business has been affected negatively. Last Friday was absolutely dead.'' Mr. Burgess also announced that Friday and Saturday night reggae sessions at the club would be scrapped.

The sessions have been blamed for luring troublemakers to the club.

"We will replace them with some other form of entertainment, such as an `oldie goldies' night or `music from the '70s','' said Mr. Burgess.

It also emerged yesterday that: An expert could be called in to beef up security of the premises.

Management want a piece of land next to the club -- said to harbour "undesirables'' -- removed; and People under 18 enter the club illegally by climbing over a neighbouring wall, or coming through nearby property.

The repercussions of the shooting were revealed yesterday by Mr. Burgess and the club's other owners and managers Mr. Gladwyn Ming, and Mr. Victor Parris.

With their lawyer Mr. Arnold Francis present, they expressed sympathy to the families of the gunman's two victims -- Jermaine Lovell, 16, and 19-year-old Ian DeSilva/Simmons, who last night remained in critical condition at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital after being shot five times.

Mr. Francis stressed Bermuda was caught up in a worldwide increase in violence.

"The world is becoming a violent place in which to live,'' he said.

Mr. Francis read a statement on behalf of the club's three owners.

"The management of the club have over the years succeeded in building an institution that provides entertainment for a broad section of young people of all racial and social groups in our Island.

"Since January, 1993 we put into effect certain security arrangements intended to make the club as far as humanly possible a safe and pleasant environment for our patrons.'' Measures included having seven security personnel checking people entering the club on Saturdays -- the busiest nights of the week.

"These security personnel are deployed on the two floors on which the club operates.

"In addition, our security people at the entrance to the club operate a metal detector of the latest model for the purpose of detecting any metal object which a would-be patron might have in his or her possession whilst seeking admittance to the club.

"If the scanner reacts positively, i.e., gives off a bleeping sound, the security person requests the person being examined to hand over the object causing the bleep to him, so that the would-be patron is relieved of objects such as, for example, a penknife, finger nail file or any other metal object.

"If the person refuses to give up the object he or she is not permitted to enter the club.'' The three owners also stressed they tried to prevent people under 18 entering the club.

"This is required by law, and we seek to operate in strict compliance with the law,'' he said. "If a person seeking entry to the club appears to be under 18, the security officer will ask for some identification which may give particulars concerning age.

"Sometimes persons nearby who know the would-be patron well, are able to verify that the would-be patron is over 18.

"If the security officer is not satisfied that the person is over 18, then, acting on our instructions, he will not permit that person to enter the club.'' The owners accepted people entered the club illegally.

"They have got on to the club premises by climbing over a neighbouring wall or coming through other neighbouring property.

"There is a piece of open land to the north of the club property which tends to harbour certain types.

"We incidentally consider that it would be helpful if that property would be supervised to prevent people loitering there.

"We do have our security people patrol those areas from time to time; but no system is absolutely perfect.

"Regarding this land, it is a natural continuance of Elliott Street eastward.

"It would be a great improvement to the area if Elliott Street were joined through this vacant land, thus removing an area where undesirables tend to loiter.'' They pointed out Police were rarely seen patrolling the street.

"I haven't seen them for 25 years,'' said Mr. Burgess.

WHEEL SURVIVE -- Spinning Wheel Club owners, from left, Mr. Gladwyn Ming, Mr.

Victor Parris and Mr. Charles Burgess are taking further steps to combat troublemakers.