Luke Bryan’s bar, Luke’s 32 Bridge, is currently under investigation for claims of overserving the missing University of Missouri student, The Tennessean reported Thursday.
Amid the ongoing search for 22-year-old Riley Strain, which has seen authorities employ helicopters, drones, and foot patrols, a new investigative front has opened, according to the Tennessean. The Tennessee Alcohol and Beverage Commission (TABC) is probing the circumstances under which Strain was served at the bar of the music superstar.
The inquiry aims to determine if there was any violation of regulations, particularly concerning the possibility of overserving. Aaron Rummage, the TABC’s director of legislation, policy, and communication, confirmed the investigation but remained tight-lipped about its specifics.
The bar has been cooperating with authorities during the investigation.
“In our effort to help the Nashville Metro Police Department’s Missing Persons investigation of Riley Strain, we proactively provided detailed information quickly after his visit to our business on March 8,” a spokesperson said in an email to Daily Caller. “This information included all security camera footage, photos of Riley at our establishment with detailed time stamps, transaction records, and staff accounts.”
The bar has also revealed that as per their records, the teen was only served one drink.
“During Riley’s visit to Luke’s 32 Bridge, our records show he purchased and was served one alcoholic drink and two waters,” the statement continued. “At 9:35 p.m., our security team made a decision based on our conduct standards to escort him from the venue through our Broadway exit at the front of our building. He was followed down the stairs with one member of his party. The individual with Riley did not exit and returned upstairs.”
Country music star Luke Bryan’s Nashville bar is under investigation over whether Riley Strain, 22, was overserved alcohol before he was asked to leave and later vanished. https://t.co/STXCDMKvHy
— NBC4 Washington (@nbcwashington) March 15, 2024
Strain disappeared on March 8 during a visit to Nashville, the Tennessean reported, and emergency response teams intensified their search Wednesday evening. The city’s emergency management office deployed two boats equipped with advanced sonar technology to scan the Cumberland River, although their efforts did not lead to the discovery of the missing teen. The search operation, conducted in close collaboration with the Metro Nashville Police Department, focused on the riverbank areas surrounding Nashville, but yielded no results. (RELATED: Country Music Star Plays A Random Show As Nashville Reopens, And The Video Is Pure America)
Strain’s disappearance began after he was ejected from Luke’s 32 Bridge around 10 p.m. Friday. He was reported missing the following day, the outlet stated. Strain had been enjoying the evening with friends from the Delta Chi fraternity before they became separated. Efforts to locate him through his Snapchat location and calls to his phone were unsuccessful, and he was not found at their hotel located a mere five blocks from the bar.