SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WXYZ) — A contracted security guard fatally shot a 33-year-old woman and injured another person early Saturday morning outside Bloom Southfield after what lounge owners described as a domestic dispute that escalated when one of the women retrieved a gun.
Alexandra Fields died in the shooting outside the popular Southfield lounge. Her close friend was also injured in the incident that occurred in the parking lot after the establishment had closed.
Watch Randy Wimbley's video report below:
Bloom owners Kenny Valentino and Kyle Kirkland confirmed a security guard fired the shots only after Fields allegedly retrieved a weapon and refused multiple commands to drop it.
"Security kind of ordered her to drop her weapons multiple times. I'm told she turned from one security guard to another. He told her at least three or four times to lower her weapon, lower her weapon and ultimately, she did not do that," Valentino said.
The incident began with what appeared to be a domestic dispute involving Fields, her friend, her sister and her sister's significant other, according to the lounge owners. Security personnel were monitoring the situation when it escalated.
A witness described hearing four gunshots ring out in the parking lot.
"I saw some commotion. So I was actually going that way and then when the shots rang out, I believe it was four of them, I immediately jumped back," Valentino said.
Surveillance cameras captured the moment the shots were fired.
The security guard was released from police custody on Monday. No charges have been filed in the case.
Southfield police declined to provide an update Wednesday, saying only that they are close to wrapping up their investigation.
Fields was a former Eastern Michigan University basketball player who was part of the 2012 MAC championship women's basketball team. She graduated from EMU in 2015 and worked with the Neighborhood Defender Service of the Detroit Public Defender Office on social justice causes.
"She was kind, thoughtful, and loved by our family and friends. Alex cared deeply for those less fortunate and worked tirelessly on social justice causes," her family said in a statement. "Words cannot express the sadness this tragedy has caused for me, her siblings, and our family."
Watch our previous report about the incident below:
"I would honestly just try to pray for them, let them know our thoughts and minds are with them," Valentino said.
The lounge owners called the shooting tragic and heartbreaking.
"We opened Bloom to have a place for people to come and unwind, to come and have a good time, to come and celebrate. So the fact that somebody came here and didn't make it back home and another person came here and ended up in the hospital, that's heartbreaking," Valentino said.
The business has taken a financial hit since the shooting and is currently operating at a loss, affecting more than 61 employees and their families, according to the owners.
"We employ over 61 people here. That's over 61 families who are taken care of by the revenue generated here. This isn't a get-rich-quick scheme. We want to be part of the fabric of the community for a long time to come," Valentino said.
Bloom remains open while owners review additional security measures for the parking lot.
"We're doing more as far as how we secure the parking lot and just open to how we can make sure this never happens again," Kirkland said.
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