BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Two suspects have been formally charged in connection with a mass shooting at a west Birmingham residence that left two people dead and five others injured earlier this month, according to authorities.
Police say 25-year-old Jaylon Deshaun Hicks of Fultondale and 19-year-old Tarvarius De’won Thomas of Birmingham have each been charged with capital murder in the June 4 shooting that claimed the lives of 50-year-old Bernard D. Watts and 33-year-old Diandra Young Johnson.
Officials confirmed that Hicks and Thomas were among seven individuals initially booked into the Birmingham City Jail on felony holds, but they are the only two who have been charged in relation to the deadly incident. Both suspects were later transferred to the Jefferson County Jail after warrants were issued by the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office.
According to Birmingham Police, officers and fire rescue personnel responded just after 8:30 p.m. to a 911 call reporting gunfire at a home in the 150 block of Holley Avenue in the Sandusky community. Investigators say at least 30 shots were fired into the residence.
All seven victims—six men and one woman—were transported by Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service to UAB Hospital and Princeton Baptist Medical Center. Watts and Johnson were later pronounced dead at UAB Hospital, while the five other victims survived their injuries.
Authorities have not yet released a motive for the shooting, and the investigation remains ongoing as detectives continue to gather evidence and interview witnesses.
The Birmingham Police Department has urged anyone with additional information to come forward as the case proceeds through the justice system.
As the community continues to process the violence, families of the victims are left mourning two lives lost and hoping for answers in the wake of a devastating attack.