TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WIAT) — A deadly shooting in downtown Tuscaloosa over the weekend is sparking safety concerns among locals and city officials.
According to police, Jackson Overton and his friend Howell Holland were bar hopping and later got into a fight on Saturday night. Overton got a gun from his car and shot Holland to death in the parking lot behind the Embassy Suites.
The case has city leaders like Councilman Lee Busby questioning how Overton, who is 18 years old, was able to get into a bar.
"Because if they were bar hopping, I want to know what bars they were hopping at," Busby said. "They were underage and if you have two kids driving from north Alabama to come do that something is wrong."
Jeremy Brown from Jack Brown's Beer and Burger Joint says what happened is scary for restaurants and bars in the Temerson Square entertainment district.
"You don't even have to be outside, [bullets] could go through a window if it's a strong enough caliber," Brown said. "You want everyone to keep themselves in check and have a good time and keep everything at home."
Overton is charged with murder and is being held in the Tuscaloosa County Jail.