Eyewitness speaks out on bar shooting - ABC 33/40 - Birmingham News, Weather, Sports
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Police are comparing shell casings to determine if the same gun used at the bar was also used to shoot a person inside a house in Northport a half hour earlier.
Davis Leavelle says when he walked into Copper Top, there was no indication that something was wrong. He was out celebrating his sister's 21st birthday. He didn't expect to end up ducking under a pool table in fear for his life.
"I started smelling blood, and I just started yelling out 'is everyone ok," said Leavelle.
Seventeen people were taken to DCH Regional Medical Center for injuries after the man seen in this surveillance video began shooting into the bar.
Hospital spokesperson, Bradley Fisher, says DCH hasn't had that many victims at once since the April 27th tornadoes.
"When the initial call came in, they called in extra staff. They called Birmingham and asked Birmingham to send helicopters. Because the initial call was someone had come into a crowded bar with an assault rifle," said Fisher.
Leavelle says two of his friends suffered foot injuries. But, in the aftermath, he saw much worse.
"There was a guy that got hit by a window. He was hit in the back and was laying on his stomach. People were trying to apply pressure and we were screaming for water and alcohol trying to disinfect," said Leavelle.
Leavelle says he's relieved to have made it out ok. But he will never forget
"It was pretty frightening. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the whole incident," he said.
I spoke with a few others people who say their friends were here last night as well. What I keep hearing is people are surprised it happened here. That this area is relatively peaceful.
Twelve of the seventeen were released from the hospital. Five remain in the hospital. One is in serious condition. Another is in critical condition. They are said to be in their 20's and early 30's.
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