Gadsden police seeking suspect in nightclub shootings

Gadsden police say they have leads, but have made no arrests in Friday night's deadly nightclub shooting.

According to a police report, a fight broke out inside the club. It spilled into the streets and shots were fired. Three people were hit. One died. Witnesses told police several suspects with multiple firearms started shooting into the crowd outside a Broad Street lounge just after midnight Friday.

Three people were shot and as many as 100 were sent running away from the street in front of Club Status and the parking lot at Seventh and Broad.

Gadsden Police Lt. Mike Moon said four department detectives have been working full time on the case since the shooting just after midnight Saturday. He said the department is following leads and has several suspects.

He said they have interviewed students from Gadsden City High School where Hale was a junior.

Moon said there were more than 100 people present and detectives are trying to talk to as many people as they can.

He said the department collected more than 40 pieces of evidence from the crime scene at the parking lot of Downtown Gadsden Inc., which is across Broad Street from Club Status. Hale, was shot in the back of the head. He died Saturday morning.  A 25-year-old Gadsden man was shot in the buttocks and a 22-year-old Gadsden man was shot in the leg. Both were taken by private vehicle to a local hospital.

A number of people acquainted with Hale have said there was a birthday party at the club — that it was a party for “kids,” and there was no alcohol.

According to police reports, a large fight broke out in the club, and a large group of people started throwing chairs and fighting on the stage.

According to the report, the fight spilled out into the street and the parking lot at North Seventh and Broad streets, which is where the shooting started.