At 12:24 a.m. on March 28, Cranston Police received several 911 calls of shots being fired outside PreGame Lounge, located at 349 Dyer Avenue. Officers immediately responded to find numerous patrons fleeing from inside of the club and in the streets. Dyer Avenue was littered with shell casings and glass from vehicle windows being shot out. Two nearby businesses also sustained gun shots through their front windows. The Cranston Police Department, with the cooperation of the owners of the lounge and neighbors, collected video surveillance and seized physical evidence consisting of shell casings. Video surveillance showed the shooting that occurred outside the bar and provided suspect information, along with their vehicles of operation. Miraculously, there were no injuries reported or known to the police at this time.

Detectives utilized the Cranston Police Department “Flock” license plate reader system and learned it had captured several vehicles of interest directly involved in the shooting. After several days of investigation and utilization of the plate reader information, Cranston Police Detectives, with the assistance of Brockton Police Detectives and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, were able to identify the two alleged shooters as Giovanni Pina, 24, of 206 Pine St., Brockton, Massachusetts, and Travone Bonnett, 28, of 135 Edward St., Brockton, Massachusetts.

It was later learned that Bonnett and Pina are alleged rivals of each other, and both were inside of the lounge prior to the incident. It later appeared that words were exchanged between the two. Moments later, a white suburban traveling southbound on Dyer Avenue approached the Pregame Lounge where Bonnett can be observed. The suburban slowed in front of the Pregame Lounge where Bonnett was standing. A subject inside the suburban appeared to fire at Bonnett from the passenger side of the vehicle. The suburban then struck another vehicle in the roadway and attempted to flee southbound. Video surveillance showed several people fall to the ground to avoid being shot, and suspect Bonnett firing multiple shots at the white suburban as it fled.

On April 7, Cranston Police Detectives obtained extraditable arrest warrants for both Pina and Bonnett. Members of Cranston Police Department, Brockton Police Department, U.S. Marshall’s Violent Task Force and the FBI Metro Boston Gang Task Force tracked Bonnett to Crunch Gym in Brockton. When they attempted to arrest Bonnett, he fled on foot as officers gave chase and took him into custody. During his arrest, a Glock .40 caliber firearm was recovered along with a large undisclosed amount of cash. Bonnett faces immediate firearm charges in Massachusetts as a result of his arrest before being extradited back to Rhode Island where he will be charged with the following: Firing in Compact Area, License or Permit Required for Carrying Pistol.

On April 11, Pina surrendered himself to Cranston Police Detectives on an extraditable arrest warrant that had been issued for his arrest. He was charged with Drive By Shootings, Felony Conspiracy and Failure to Stop for Accident Resulting in Damage to Vehicle. He was arraigned in Third District Court with bail set at $25,000 with surety and Pina is set to be back in court on April 25:

PreGame Lounge has been temporarily closed by the City of Cranston – Safety Services Committee as a result of this shooting incident. This case was investigated by Cranston Police Detectives Robert Lindsay, Warren Henseler and Lee Sohn.