1 year ago
32
NEWS AT SIX STARTS NOW. THIS RIGHT HERE. THIS WAS THE SCENE EARLIER THIS MORNING AT UAB AFTER A DRIVE BY SHOOTING LEFT BULLET HOLES RIGHT IN A POLICE CAR. YOU SEE IT RIGHT THERE, RIGHT ON THE WINDSHIELD. THE HOSPITAL WENT TO LOCK DOWN FOLLOWING THAT INCIDENT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TONIGHT AT SIX. I’M IAN RICE. AND I’M SHERI FALK IN THIS COMING AFTER A NIGHTCLUB SHOOTING THAT KILLED TWO WOMEN AND HURT OTHERS. WVTM13’S ERIN THE WELL AND TALK TO A WOMAN WHO SAYS SHE WAS ACTUALLY PLANNING TO GO TO THAT CLUB LAST NIGHT. ERIN. YEAH. IAN SHERRY WE ALSO TALKED TO OFFICER TRUMAN FITZGERALD, WHO ABOUT AN HOUR AGO, AND HE SAYS THAT HE, LIKE MANY OTHERS, IS UPSET THAT TWO WOMEN LOST THEIR LIVES IN THIS SENSELESS ACT OF VIOLENCE. WE BELIEVE THAT THE GUNFIRE STEMMED FROM A TARGETED ATTACK. HOWEVER, WE DO BELIEVE THAT MANY OF THE VICTIMS WERE JUST SIMPLY BYSTANDERS AND WERE INNOCENT. AND WE’RE CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE. NOW, THIS STARTED WITH THE SHOOTING AT A NIGHTCLUB IN THE SMITHFIELD COMMUNITY. TWO WOMEN AND A MAN WERE SHOT AND TAKEN TO UAB HOSPITAL. MCKENZIE ATKINS AND KAVITA WILLIS DIED IN THE MAN HAS NON-LIFE OR EXCUSE ME, LIFE-THREATENING INJURIES. POLICE SAY TWO PEOPLE SHOWED UP TO THE E.R. AND OPENED FIRE, HITTING A UAB POLICE CAR AND THE EMERGENCY ROOM. NOW, WE SPOKE TO BRAXTON WILLIS, WHO SAYS SHE GOES TO ARIA OFTEN AND WAS EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE THERE LAST NIGHT. SHE SAYS THE BUILDING WAS JUST RENOVATED NOT TOO LONG AGO AND SAW THESE UPGRADES AS PROGRESS FOR THE COMMUNITY, GIVING MORE PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A GOOD TIME. THERE. WHEN SHE HEARD ABOUT THIS TRAGEDY, I’VE NEVER HEARD OF ANYTHING LIKE THAT, AND I HOPE WHOEVER DID THAT GETS CAUGHT LIKE WE I DON’T KNOW. I’VE SEEN A LOT THIS MORNING ABOUT IT. AND IT’S JUST IT’S JUST SENSELESS. EVERYBODY JUST IT’S LIKE EVERY MAN FOR THEMSELVES. NOBODY IT’S NO COMMUNITY EFFORT. NOW, BIRMINGHAM POLICE CHIEF SCOTT THURMAN SAYS THAT THIS NEEDS TO STOP. HE IS CALLING FOR PEOPLE TO PUT THEIR GUNS DOWN AND SAYS THAT BIRMINGHAM DESERVES BETTER. NOW, NO ARRESTS HAVE BEEN MADE IN THIS SHOOTING, BUT THERE IS A $5,000 REWARD FOR RIGHT NOW.
'This is senseless': Birmingham community upset after Labor Day club shooting kills 2 women
Birmingham Police Officer Truman Fitzgerald said he, like many other people in Birmingham, is upset that two women lost their lives to the senseless act of violence during a shooting at a club Monday. Police believe many people who have been injured — including Markiezia Deactrius Atkins, 24, and Chaveda Arreaiia Willis, 33, — are believed to be innocent bystanders in what police are calling a targeted attack.The violence is making many people in Birmingham, like Braxton Hawkins, who goes to Aria often and was even supposed to be there Monday night, nervous.“It is definitely crazy,” Hawkins said. “It's been several situations that have happened recently that just makes me not want to go anywhere because this is senseless. There's a lot of killing — unnecessary killing — and we could be putting that energy into doing something for the community versus feuding with each other. We’ve done enough of that. We lost enough this year alone, and I just hope that it gets better.” No arrests have been made yet and BPD is still investigating. There is a $5,000 reward from Crimestoppers for any information that leads to an arrest.“No one should be a prisoner of their home. No one should be a prisoner of not being able to go out, and it just upsets me as a law enforcement officer that people can’t go out in our city and enjoy themselves anywhere and not fall victim to senseless violence," Fitzgerald said. Birmingham police Chief Scott Thurmond released a statement saying in part, “Our city and its leadership will continue to work hard every day to hold those accountable for senseless acts of violence such as this morning's incident. It is imperative for everyone to work together to prevent and eliminate future acts of violence.”
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —
Birmingham Police Officer Truman Fitzgerald said he, like many other people in Birmingham, is upset that two women lost their lives to the senseless act of violence during a shooting at a club Monday.
Police believe many people who have been injured — including Markiezia Deactrius Atkins, 24, and Chaveda Arreaiia Willis, 33, — are believed to be innocent bystanders in what police are calling a targeted attack.
The violence is making many people in Birmingham, like Braxton Hawkins, who goes to Aria often and was even supposed to be there Monday night, nervous.
“It is definitely crazy,” Hawkins said. “It's been several situations that have happened recently that just makes me not want to go anywhere because this is senseless. There's a lot of killing — unnecessary killing — and we could be putting that energy into doing something for the community versus feuding with each other. We’ve done enough of that. We lost enough this year alone, and I just hope that it gets better.”
No arrests have been made yet and BPD is still investigating. There is a $5,000 reward from Crimestoppers for any information that leads to an arrest.
“No one should be a prisoner of their home. No one should be a prisoner of not being able to go out, and it just upsets me as a law enforcement officer that people can’t go out in our city and enjoy themselves anywhere and not fall victim to senseless violence," Fitzgerald said.
Birmingham police Chief Scott Thurmond released a statement saying in part, “Our city and its leadership will continue to work hard every day to hold those accountable for senseless acts of violence such as this morning's incident. It is imperative for everyone to work together to prevent and eliminate future acts of violence.”
English (US)