BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A south Birmingham community is reeling after a husband and father was shot and killed in front of his family outside a barber shop Saturday afternoon.
The shooting happened just after 3:30 p.m. outside La Vida Barberia Spa Y Estilismo in a strip mall on West Valley Avenue, according to Birmingham police.
Sgt. LaQuitta Wade said police and fire medics were dispatched to the business on a report of a person shot. Paramedics attempted life-saving measures, but the victim was pronounced dead on the sidewalk outside the barber shop.
Wade said the preliminary investigation indicates the victim and the suspect knew each other. For unknown reasons, a physical altercation erupted between the two men just outside the business. During the fight, the suspect pulled a gun and shot the victim.
The shooter then fled the crime scene but was taken into custody a short time later by police, Wade said.
Multiple customers were inside La Vida Barberia when the argument erupted, including the victim’s family, who witnessed the shooting. Several witnesses were taken to police headquarters for questioning.
It was not immediately clear if the suspect was a customer or employee. Police have not released the names of the victim or the suspect, pending family notification and formal charges.
The sidewalk outside the barber shop became a crime scene as detectives worked through the evening. Loved ones gathered nearby, many in tears, as word of the shooting spread.
“He was a husband. He was a father. And his family had to see that,” a witness said. “This is devastating.”
The investigation is ongoing. Birmingham police said additional details will be released as the case develops.
Birmingham Husband and Father Shot Dead in Front of Family Outside La Vida Barber Shop
