Three people were wounded when gunfire erupted early Sunday outside a popular Tuscaloosa restaurant and a nearby convenience store.

Tuscaloosa police were dispatched about 1 a.m. to a disturbance at the Cypress Inn Restaurant on Rice Mine Road North. When they arrived, there were several vehicles in the parking lot and a large crowd of people, said Tuscaloosa Metro Homicide Capt. Gary Hood. As officers blocked the road and tried to clear the lot, multiple shots rang out but officers couldn't determine who fired those shots.

Additional officers arrived on scene and the parking lot was eventually cleared of all of the vehicles. Once the parking lot was cleared, officers heard 35 to 50 gunshots coming from the area of Buddy's Food Mart at 1051 NE McFarland Blvd which is nearby, Hood said. Officers went to that location and spotted a white Cadillac Escalade speeding away from the scene with the back window shot out.

Police stopped the Escalade McFarland Boulevard and 15th Street. They removed the driver and passenger and detained them. A short time later, a 22-year-old black male was taken to DCH Regional Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. Witnesses told police he was shot at the Cypress Inn parking lot earlier.

Two more victims, a 20-year-old black male and a 21-year-old black male were also taken to DCH for non-life threatening gunshot wounds. Those two victims told police they were shot in the Buddy's Food Mart parking lot.

Hood said homicide investigators responded to the scenes and took over the investigations. Investigators recovered over 50 shell casings from the Buddy's Food Mart parking lot and discovered the building had also been shot into as well as other vehicles.

On Saturday night, police responded about 9:30 p.m. to a shooting that happened at The Avenue Apartments at 5621 Highway 69 South. Hood said a 20-year-old black male was transported to the hospital by personal vehicle with life-threatening injuries.

The victim told police he was walking in the parking lot when he was assaulted by several unknown subjects who then shot him. There were multiple shell casings recovered from the scene, Hood said. A witness reported seeing two males shooting at each other.

Both investigations are ongoing.