5 injured in shooting outside a Detroit blues club over a parking spot dispute, police say

Five people were wounded early Friday morning in a shooting outside a bar in west Detroit following an argument over a parking spot, police said.

The confrontation had occurred outside the blues club and became physical before a male suspect left the area and returned with a gun, the Detroit Police Department confirmed to USA TODAY.

"When he came back he brought a gun, as most cowards do, and he opened fire on the crowd" Assistant Police Chief Charles Fitzgerald told reporters. "Senseless, it's just ridiculous."

The five people who were wounded ranged in ages between 33-49, Fitzgerald said. All the victims were transported to one of two different area hospitals for treatment and are expected to survive their injuries, he added.

A man can be seen in the bottom right of this image from security footage appearing to hold a gun as he fires at a group of people early Friday morning in the parking lot of a bar in Detroit following an argument over a parking spot, Detroit police said.
A man can be seen in the bottom right of this image from security footage appearing to hold a gun as he fires at a group of people early Friday morning in the parking lot of a bar in Detroit following an argument over a parking spot, Detroit police said.

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Surveillance video shows shooter flee scene in dark SUV

Detroit police were dispatch at 2:45 p.m. to the parking lot of a blues bar after the shooting occurred.

Surveillance footage released by police shows the suspect firing what appears to be a handgun before fleeing the scene in a dark-colored sports-utility vehicle. Police believe the vehicle is a Hyundai, said Fitzgerald, who briefed the media Friday morning at the location, video of which police provided to USA TODAY.

Detectives interviewed witnesses to determine that the shooting stemmed from an argument and fight that had taken place outside the bar over a parking spot, Fitzgerald said.

Though the investigation is still ongoing, police believe at least one of the victims may have been involved in the fight, while the other four were bystanders, Fitzgerald said. The shooter acted alone and officers found seven or eight casings in the parking lot.

"For five people to get shot over a parking spot is silly," Fitzgerald said.

Detroit blues club was not supposed to be open

The blues club does not have a permit for extended hours and should not have been open, according to police.

Fitzgerald said police plan to investigate why the club was open.

"Obviously this blues club should not have been open at 2:45 where they're arguing for a parking spot," Fitzgerald said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 5 shot in Detroit over parking spot dispute outside bar, police say

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