An altercation on the Strip Thursday morning that involved gunshots left two men hospitalized, including Crimson Tide receiver DeAndrew White.
The altercation occurred on the 1200 block of University Boulevard. A 20-year-old male was injured during the physical altercation and was transported to DCH with non-life threatening injuries, according to a UA News email. The Tuscaloosa News confirmed that the 20-year-old was Crimson Tide wide receiver DeAndrew White.
During the altercation, two males who were not involved in the fight pulled handguns and fired in the air to disperse the crowd, the email stated. The two males were apprehended by University Police officers, and both firearms were recovered.
Buffalo Phil’s employee David Ingram was the other victim in last night’s incident, said Kara Smith, his co-worker. He was also transported to DCH Medical Center, where a CT scan revealed he had sustained head trauma.
“[Ingram] is a trained fighter and really big guy, and the nurse said when they found him, he was completely unconscious in front of Houndstooth,” Smith said. “He was pretty out of it and we asked him, ‘Do you know what happened to you?’ and he said ‘I don’t know, I don’t know what happened,’” Smith said. The UA News email said it is currently unknown whether Ingram was involved in the same altercation as White.
Smith said she saw several Crimson Tide coaches and football players at the hospital, including Coach Scott Cochran and linebacker Nico Johnson.
An email sent from the UA Emergency system at 2:47 a.m. today alerted students and faculty to the situation. “Shots fired on the Strip. Officers on scene. One suspect in custody. Take necessary precautions,” the first alert read, in its entirety.
“Situation cleared,” a second alert read at 3:48 a.m. “Both suspects in custody. No gunshot injuries. Follow up investigations continue.”
Eyewitness photos show a crowd near the corner of University Boulevard and Red Drew Avenue in front of Egan’s Bar following the incident. Emergency responders loaded White and Ingram into an ambulance on stretchers at the scene. Police blocked off University Boulevard and Marr’s Spring Road, an on-campus road under half a mile away from where the shots were fired, less than an hour after the shooting.
Smith said student unease about safety on the Strip would likely increase following the incident. “People are going to be scared.” Smith said. “At the end of the night people sometimes just have had too much to drink and do stupid things.”
UA spokeswoman Cathy Andreen said UAPD and TPD maintain a high presence on the Strip, which allowed them to be on site immediately and take the individuals into custody very quickly.
