Two men who engaged in a gun battle outside a nightclub in Birmingham, United Kingdom, have each been sentenced to 18 years in prison after their dispute left an innocent food vendor injured.
The convicts, Aaron Nubie, 46, and Kimani Durrell-Smith, 27, exchanged gunfire outside FJ Lounge on Bickford Road, Aston, following an earlier disagreement inside the nightclub.
The incident happened at about 6am on March 23, 2024, according to West Midlands Police. Investigators said Nubie initially left the premises but returned with a firearm and shot at Durrell-Smith as he came out of the venue.
Durrell-Smith, who was also carrying a gun, responded with gunfire, turning their personal disagreement into a dangerous confrontation near a food stall. A worker at the stall was struck by a bullet during the exchange, although the injuries were not considered life-threatening.
Both men sustained gunshot wounds. Police said Nubie arrived at a hospital roughly 30 minutes after the shooting but initially claimed he could not recall how he had been injured.
Durrell-Smith was subsequently arrested at an address in West Bromwich after investigators pursued him in connection with the incident. CCTV footage obtained during the investigation showed the two men firing their weapons outside the nightclub, helping officers establish what had happened.
The pair were convicted of wounding with intent following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court in October 2025. They had also admitted firearm possession offences before receiving their respective 18-year prison sentences on Thursday, October 22, 2026.
Detective Sergeant Phil Hinton of the West Midlands Police Major Crime Team condemned their actions, warning that the decision to carry and discharge firearms in a public place had exposed innocent people to potentially fatal danger.
He said the injury suffered by the food-stall worker illustrated the wider consequences of allowing a personal dispute to escalate into gun violence.
Authorities also obtained a closure order against FJ Lounge following the shooting. Police said efforts to tackle gun crime and organised criminal activities in the region were continuing under Operation Target, an initiative focused on disrupting serious criminal networks.
