Licensing board agrees with club it couldn't have done anything to stop patron from shooting up the street outside

The Boston Licensing Board decided today to let Venu on Warrenton Street continue to stay open until 2 a.m., rather than penalize it for a Nov. 18 incident in which police say a clubgoer left at closing, spotted three rival gang members, got a gun and started shooting, hitting two of them and two bystanders.

At a hearing on Tuesday, club officials said the man did not come into the club with a gun and caused no trouble in the club that night. They also noted they turned over video and photos that helped police identify the suspect, Samuel Higginbottom, 23, of Dorchester. Following the Nov. 18 shootings, some city officials called on the club to voluntarily shut down until the licensing-board hearing; the club said no.

The hearing was called to determine whether the board would roll the club's hours back because of both the quadruple shooting and a series of other incidents over the past two years, many at closing, which have tied up police officers from across the city.