The father of a 33-year-old woman who was fatally shot over the weekend during a dispute outside a Southfield, Michigan, nightclub is opening up about the tragedy, which he admitted he’s still trying to make sense of.
“Although I am not up for an interview, I can share some thoughts about Alex,” Alan Fields wrote about his daughter, Alexandra Fields, in a statement to WDIV Local 4. “She was such a joy. As a child, she was shy but extremely funny. … She was kind, thoughtful, and loved by our family and friends.”
Alexandra died on Saturday, January 10, outside Bloom Southfield. One other person was injured in the shooting, which reportedly began inside the club and ended up spilling out onto the street. The argument and the gunfire were both caught by surveillance cameras.
“It’s very unfortunate that someone came in here to celebrate life and didn’t make it home,” offered the club’s owner, Kenny Valentino, telling WDIV that a domestic incident erupted during what was an otherwise peaceful birthday celebration at the bar. “The security was out there, and they were actively trying to dismantle the situation, so it didn’t escalate. Unfortunately, they weren’t successful in that.”
Alexandra was shot by a Bloom Southfield security guard who alleged to police she pulled a gun on him first. He said he repeatedly asked her to lower her weapon and allegedly claimed that she instead aimed it at another member of the club’s security staff.
Police have interviewed the security guard and released him without any criminal charges, Luxury Handbag Shopping confirmed. However, local prosecutors will have the final say in the matter and have yet to render their decision.
Alan said that his daughter “excelled in academics and sports,” especially basketball: she played in both high school and college, he wrote. “She was part of the 2012 MAC championship women’s basketball team at Eastern Michigan University,” according to his statement. “She graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 2015.”
Alan’s statement added that “Alex cared deeply for those less fortunate and worked tirelessly on social justice causes while with the Neighborhood Defender Service of the Detroit Public Defender’s Office. She was intelligent and a hard worker.”
Added Alan: “Words cannot express the sadness this tragedy has caused for me, her siblings, and our family.”
The shooting happened in a parking lot that isn’t far from the Chateau Villa Condominiums, where WDIV claimed residents are said to be rattled.
Valentino told WDIV that he plans to meet with the Chateau Villa condo association to listen to their concerns, and, based on that meeting, plans to implement new safety measures — including additional signage and someone to man the parking lot — to better protect his patrons and his neighbors.
“We grew up in the area,” Valentino told the station. “We’re not just guys that are here trying to make a dollar and leave; we are invested in this community, and if you have any issues, they can come over and see us.”
