2 women dead, 3 injured in Alabama nightclub shooting, suspects open fire on wounded after following them to hospital

Two people are dead and three others have been left with injuries after a shooting at a Birmingham, Alabama club early Monday morning.

Following the initial incident, the suspects pursued the victims to a nearby hospital, where they proceeded to open fire yet again.

According to AL.com, shots rang out at Aria Restaurant and Lounge on the 900 block of Fifth Avenue North around 2 am, as patrons took part in a Labor Day-themed event.

Five people, whose identities have not been released, were struck by bullets and taken via a private champagne-colored Chevrolet Tahoe to the nearby University of Alabama hospital, which is the only Level 1 Trauma Center in the state.

The quintet were pursued by the suspected shooters, who pulled up to the hospital moments after they arrived and opened fire a second time. As AL.com reports, witnesses at the hospital said they heard "multiple shots fired," and described the sound as similar to iron pipes being struck.

None of the rounds hit their intended targets, instead striking a window and a vehicle belonging to the UAB police force. As the incident unfolded, authorities placed the hospital on lockdown, and cordoned off the emergency room area.

Two of the victims, a 33-year-old woman and a 24-year-old woman, were pronounced dead at 2:30 and 2:55 am, respectively. Their deaths mark the 90th and 91st homicides in Birmingham this year.

Birmingham consistently ranks among the worst in the United States when it comes to homicide. In 2022, the Alabama city experienced its worst year since 1933 with a total of 144 murders. The current population is only 197,575, putting the homicide rate at 72.9 per 100,000 people. In the 1930s, the population was closer to 260,000, meaning the homicide rate during its deadliest year was 57 per 100,000.

"We'll continue to work hard and implement different things to make a difference," Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond said at the time, "but hopefully we're moving in a better direction."