The Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit is investigating two separate murders that occurred over the New Year weekend.
The first shooting took place on Saturday night in the 700 block of 33rd Street East at Hodo Haven apartments, where a 16-year-old juvenile was found dead. A juvenile suspect was located and charged with one count of murder.
The second shooting occurred on Sunday morning at the Brookhaven Apartments, where a 26-year-old man was found shot to death.
Tuscaloosa police responded to a call reporting gunfire from Hodo Haven apartments at 33rd Street as midnight approached.
Captain Jack Kennedy of Tuscaloosa County Violent Crimes said on Sunday that the call reported the first shooting at 11:54 p.m. When the officers arrived, they found the body of a teenager. Kennedy said the victim’s name would not be published to respect the privacy of the victim’s family.
Kennedy also said the investigators have gathered evidence and spoken to witnesses. Their investigation led to the suspect — a teenager under 16 — who was charged with murder. The police have not released the suspect’s identity due to Alabama State law.
Elsewhere in Tuscaloosa, the police arrested 37-year-old Michael Terrell Charles for shooting 26-year-old Deshawn Tanthony Eatmon to death early Sunday morning.
Reports stated that the shooting happened in the area of Brookhaven Apartments on James I Harrison Parkway East around 2:20 a.m. on Sunday. When police arrived, they discovered the victim was already dead due to a gunshot.
Charles was charged with murder and is currently at Tuscaloosa County Jail on a $1 million bond. Kennedy said there was no connection between the two shootings that occurred during the weekend.
Multiple incidents in Alabama
Multiple shooting incidents were reported in Alabama during New Year celebrations, resulting in at least four deaths and nine injuries.
One incident occurred in Mobile, Alabama, where one person was killed and nine others were injured. The suspect is now in custody and will be charged with murder once recovered from medical treatment. The motives for the shooting are currently unknown.
In Piedmont, Alabama, a man was taken in custody for allegedly shooting and killing a 13-year-old boy on New Year’s Eve. The authorities identified the suspect as 19-year-old Paul Joshua Baker. The authorities have not officially released the name of the victim.
According to the Piedmont Police Department, the officers, fire departments and EMS responded to a call after 11 p.m. reporting a person getting shot near the Old Piedmont Gadsden Highway. When first responders arrived at the scene, they found the victim outside of his home already dead due to a gunshot wound. Police said there were signs of a physical altercation that caused the suspect to fire a gun.
“During the investigation, it was learned that there was a physical altercation that took place and ultimately a gun was discharged and the juvenile victim was fatally shot,” PPD said in a press release.
Calhoun County Assistant Coroner Jay Bowden said the boy was killed at 11:45 p.m. His body was transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for further investigation.
The authorities located Baker in Cherokee County, where he was arrested and charged with murder. He is currently held in Calhoun County Jail. The report stated that the district court decided to detain Baker without bond. PPD is still performing investigations regarding the case.