In the early hours of a Sunday morning in Birmingham, Alabama, a dispute inside a local lounge escalated to a fatal conclusion, ending the life of 32-year-old Quantez Banks. A Black male from Center Point, Banks was at Mel's Lounge on Richard Arrington Junior Boulevard North on December 10, 2023, when the incident occurred.
Birmingham Police Department's South Precinct officers were dispatched to the lounge at approximately 2:45 a.m. following a report of a person shot.
Upon their arrival and entry into the establishment, they discovered Banks unresponsive, having sustained an apparent gunshot wound. Despite the efforts of Birmingham Fire and Rescue personnel who were called to the scene, he was pronounced deceased.
The preliminary investigation into the shooting suggests that a verbal argument between Quantez Banks and another adult male preceded the deadly shooting. Following the altercation, the other man reportedly shot Banks and then attempted to flee the scene. However, responding patrol officers were able to quickly take the suspect into custody near the lounge.
The individual taken into custody, an employee of the lounge, was transported to the Birmingham Police Department Headquarters for questioning by homicide detectives. Following the interview, the suspect was booked into the Birmingham City Jail under a 48-hour felony extension for murder, as the investigation into the death of Quantez Banks continued.
