Law enforcement officers with the Tuscaloosa and University of Alabama Police departments responded to a discharging firearm call at the Bear Trap on University Blvd. at 1:36 a.m. Thursday, where they were told a fight involving approximately ten people had broken out in the street. One of the people involved fired multiple shots in the air during the altercation, TPD said in a press release.
Witness stated the suspect got into an Oldsmobile Delta 88 and left the scene, the press release said. Officers then located the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop at the intersection of Wallace Wade and Bryant Drive.
Brandon Deundrey Taylor, a 19 year-old Northport man, was arrested for carrying a pistol without a license, TPD said. Additional charges are pending.
Officers arrived on the scene within two minutes of the 911 call, but no injuries were reported to the police.
The event marked the second time in two weeks law enforcement officials have responded to gun shots fired on the Strip. After the last such incident, on April 19, the University issued alerts to students through text messages, emails, and automated phone calls. The alerts informed students of the incident and announced when the Strip was declared all-clear.
No alerts were issued after this morning’s incident, which University spokeswoman Cathy Andreen attributed to the differences between the two situations.
“The situation this morning was somewhat different [from the April 19th shooting,]” Andreen said. “The suspect was apprehended quickly, and there was no indication of immediate or on-going danger to the campus, so no alert was sent.”
The decision to issue an alert or not falls to many people, Andreen said, including officials from UAPD and University administrators.
No UA students were involved in the incident, Andreen said.
Production editor Stephen Dethrage contributed to this report.
