4 wounded in shooting outside Seattle nightclub

Four men were shot late Friday night near Seattle Center.

The shooting took place shortly before midnight in the parking lot of the Level 5 nightclub.

A 20-year-old man was shot in the abdomen and two other men, also in their 20s, were hit in the legs. A bouncer at the club also was shot. All four were taken to Harborview Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, said Seattle police spokeswoman Renee Witt.

Police say a fight spilled out into the parking lot. Gang detectives were investigating.

Several fights had broken out in the club earlier that evening, according to witnesses.

The shooting could add heat to the contentious the issue of nightclub violence in Seattle.

Mayor Greg Nickels has been pushing for increased regulation of nightclubs for more than a year in response to violent incidents at or around clubs in Pioneer Square and lower Queen Anne. The City Council passed an ordinance last month calling for more study, but Nickels vetoed it, saying it didn't go far enough.

In July, a brawl involving 100 people spilled out of the Level 5 club and into the street.