Gun-Wielding Men Jailed For 18 Years For Exchanging Fire Outside UK Nightclub | Sahara Reporters

According to the West Midlands Police, the shooting occurred at about 6am on March 23, 2024, when the two men, who had reportedly clashed inside the venue earlier, returned outside armed with firearms.

Two men have been sentenced to 18 years in prison each for exchanging gunfire outside a nightclub in Birmingham, United Kingdom, in an incident that left an innocent food-stall worker injured.

The convicts, identified as Aaron Nubie, 46, and Kimani Durrell-Smith, 27, fired at each other outside FJ Lounge on Bickford Road in Aston, Birmingham, following a disagreement inside the nightclub.

According to the West Midlands Police, the shooting occurred at about 6am on March 23, 2024, when the two men, who had reportedly clashed inside the venue earlier, returned outside armed with firearms.

The police said their investigation established that Nubie had left the nightclub but later returned with a gun and fired at Durrell-Smith as he exited the venue.

Durrell-Smith, who was also armed, reportedly returned fire, resulting in an exchange of gunshots near a food stall.
An innocent worker at the stall was caught in the crossfire and sustained gunshot injuries. The police, however, said the victim’s injuries were not life-threatening.

Both Nubie and Durrell-Smith were also wounded during the exchange.

The police said Nubie arrived at a hospital approximately 30 minutes after the incident with a gunshot wound but initially claimed he could not remember how he had been injured.

Durrell-Smith, who allegedly attempted to evade the police, was later arrested following a firearms warrant at an address in West Bromwich.

Investigators subsequently reviewed CCTV footage from the area, which clearly showed both men firing their weapons outside the nightclub.

Further investigations linked the shooting to an earlier disagreement between the men inside the establishment.

The two men were charged and subsequently convicted of wounding with intent following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court in October 2025. They had earlier admitted possessing firearms.

They were sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment each on Thursday, October 22, 2026.

Commenting on the incident, Detective Sergeant Phil Hinton of the West Midlands Police Major Crime Team condemned the actions of the convicts, saying their decision to carry firearms and shoot at each other endangered the lives of innocent people.

“Both men made a decision to arm themselves, and then to fire at each other at close range – which could have cost them their lives, and the lives of others,” Hinton said.

He added that the injury sustained by the food-stall worker demonstrated the consequences of the men’s reckless behaviour.

“The fact that a member of the public was injured because of their dispute shows how selfish and reckless their actions were,” he said.

Hinton said the police remained committed to tackling gun crime across the West Midlands and bringing offenders to justice.

Following the shooting, authorities also secured a closure order against FJ Lounge.

The police said efforts to combat gun violence and other forms of serious and organised crime were continuing under Operation Target, an initiative aimed at disrupting criminal activities across the region.