Hartford Bar Where East Granby Teen Died Apparently Closed

HARTFORD, CT — A downtown bar which was the scene of the tragic death of a college freshman earlier this month has apparently shut down, various media outlets reported Wednesday.

WFSB-TV said it has learned from sources that the Angry Bull Saloon at 103 Allyn Street has closed permanently.

Taylor Lavoie, 18, of East Granby, a student at Central Connecticut State University, died March 3 when she fell from the rooftop of the building which houses the Angry Bull.

Following her death, the bar's permittee voluntarily surrendered thee establishment's liquor license pending an investigation.

A phone call to the bar by Patch staff seeking comment went unanswered Wednesday afternoon. The bar's Facebook page has also been deactivated.

The Angry Bull Facebook page had carried a statement from management prior to its deactivation, which read:

“We are a popular downtown establishment located in the entertainment district with other popular venues, serving patrons over the age of 21. We consistently have several members of our security staff outside the entry door of the establishment to ensure all patrons are checked for proper identification stating they are 21 or above. In addition, all areas of the establishment, located on the ground and second floor of the five story building, are consistently patrolled by numerous security staff members to ensure the safety of patrons.”

The Angry Bull Saloon in its statement stressed it has “never been found in violation, fined, or had any disciplinary action taken against it despite routine and surprise undercover inspections by Liquor Control Agents and members of the Hartford Police Department.”

The bar also explained in its statement that the area where Lavoie accessed is “not part of the permitted premises and are known as empty warehouse space belonging to the building owner.”

“To access the roof, a person must go up a stairwell from the second floor area through a fully blocking curtain, which indicates a blocked/off limits area,” the statement read. “The roof access requires someone to go up two floors of abandoned space, continue to a ladder structure, climb it to a hatchway, then enter the roof through a small doorway area.”

Photo credit: Google Maps