On March 27, 2025, the life of 21-year-old Gennia Grimes, a female student at Alabama State University, was cut short by gun violence on U.S. Highway 80 East in the Waugh community of Pike Road, Alabama. Initially, her death was reported by her boyfriend, Rogers McCloud Jr., as a suicide. However, the investigation by the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office uncovered evidence that led them to believe otherwise.
Grimes, a junior from Georgia majoring in criminal justice and a member of the university's Honey Beez dance team, was found with a gunshot wound. She was airlifted from the scene to a local hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. The investigation into her death soon focused on her 20-year-old boyfriend, McCloud, who was present in the vehicle with her when the shooting occurred. Authorities reported that his statements about the incident were inconsistent.
On April 4, 2025, Rogers McCloud Jr. was arrested and charged with capital murder in connection with Grimes's death. He is being held without bond at the Montgomery County Detention Facility. Investigators believe the shooting was an act of domestic violence. Evidence presented at a preliminary hearing revealed that McCloud had sent a video to his mother showing a gun on Grimes's shoulder with the message, 'This girl shot herself.' Another video, not sent to anyone, showed Grimes bleeding in the car without a gun in sight.
The couple, who had been together for about two years and shared a young son, were reportedly having relationship issues. Gennia's family stated that she was planning to end the relationship after discovering something on McCloud's phone, which had led to him damaging her property. A GoFundMe campaign was established to assist her family with funeral expenses and to support her child. The case against Rogers McCloud Jr. is expected to be presented to a grand jury.
