Opp police seek suspects following Sunday morning shooting at club

Published 8:51 am Monday, May 15, 2023

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Multiple people were injured in a shooting outside of an Opp club Sunday morning.

According to the Opp Police Department, the shooting occurred at approximately 1:08 a.m. on May 14 at the HJM Club on Hardin Street.

Officers who were already at the scene due to the large crowd observed people running from the club to a parking lot of the Hardin Street Community Center. As those officers were trying to determine what happened, several gunshots were heard coming from the parking lot of the community center at the front of the building. One of the bullets hit an investigator’s vehicle.

Due to the number of people running and vehicles leaving the parking lot, police were unsuccessful in finding the shooters. Witnesses did lead officers to a Nissan Altima that was attempting to leave. As officers removed individuals from that vehicle, a back-seat passenger fled on foot. OPD officers and deputies with the Covington County Sheriff’s Office pursued the individual but lost them in a wooded area across from Kolb Avenue, according to police. The CCSO’s K-9 team was used to track down the individual but was unsuccessful.

Police said a handgun that was hot to the touch was recovered in the back seat of the Altima. Another handgun was found in the road near the area where the back-seat passenger fled.

Officers also encountered a Dodge Challenger leaving the area and noticed it had been hit three times with bullets. Police discovered an AR-15-style rifle and another handgun with a high-capacity magazine on the driver’s floorboard.

Another handgun was found in the roadway on Hardin Street and two more were found in a vehicle at Mizell Memorial Hospital after police were notified by hospital officials that two individuals had arrived at the emergency room with injuries. One person had a gunshot wound to the arm and the other was stabbed in the abdomen area. Neither injury appeared to be life-threatening.

Enterprise Medical Center also notified Opp police of a man who entered their emergency room with a stab wound. That man allegedly was uncooperative and would not provide information.

Opp investigators are obtaining search warrants for the Nissan Altima and Dodge Challenger.

The OPD thanked the CCSO, Florala Police Department, Elba Police Department, and the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office for their quick response to provide assistance at the scene.

Anyone with information about the incident or the individuals involved should contact the Opp Police Department at 334-493-4511.