The Arbutus Social Club is usually home to baby showers, wedding anniversaries and graduation parties.
Judges, lawyers and accountants are members.
And former Gov. Robert Ehrlich has been known to make an appearance.
But early Monday morning, the atmosphere at the club changed.
Shots rang out during a birthday party, leaving three people injured and two men dead on the dance floor.
Those killed at about 12:45 a.m. were Edward W. Johnson, 25, of the Cherry Hill neighborhood in Baltimore City, and Michael Johnson, 31, of Woodlawn.
“We just had a 50th wedding anniversary yesterday afternoon,” said Robert Cisna, supply chairman for the club.
“We try to run a decent hall. It?s very unusual that something like this happens. I can?t remember the last time we have had a little fight.”
Now, Baltimore County police are looking for the killers but are gaining little information from the 100 to 200 people who rented out the club for a birthday party.
“We?re hoping they?re going to start talking,” Baltimore County Police Homicide Lt. James Monahan said.
“We?re not getting a lot of information right now.”
Investigators still have not determined a motive in the shooting, but Monahan said he believed there was “an argument of some sort” that preceded the killings.
Those who were injured in the incident were taken to University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center with injuries that are not life-threatening.
The club?s Sunshine Chairman Leo Garvey said he doesn?t know what to make of the homicides inside his club.
“Nothing like this has ever happened before,” he said. “I don?t know what you can do about it. We?ve been here over 50 years, and we?ve never had a shooting.”
Police urge anyone with information on this crime to call Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7-LOCKUP.
