In the early hours of February 26, 2025, a burst of gunfire shattered the quiet of a Lipscomb, Alabama neighborhood, leaving an 18-year-old Bessemer man, Marquese Janhari Webster, fatally wounded. The incident unfolded around 12:45 a.m. in the 1800 block of Crescent Avenue. Responding to the reports of the shooting, authorities soon learned that Webster had been taken by a 21-year-old woman to UAB Medical West Hospital in Bessemer. She, too, had sustained a gunshot wound in the altercation.
Despite the efforts of medical staff, Webster succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at 1:20 a.m.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office immediately launched a homicide investigation into the violent encounter. Initially, investigators had not identified any suspects or a potential motive for the shooting that marked the first homicide of the year for the city of Lipscomb. The broader Jefferson County had already seen a concerning number of homicides that year, and authorities urged the public to come forward with any information that could aid their investigation.
As the investigation progressed, authorities were able to identify and apprehend two individuals in connection with the fatal shooting. Timothy O'Neal Epps Jr. and Tedarius Lee McCoy were subsequently arrested and faced the grave charge of capital murder for their alleged roles in the death of Marquese Janhari Webster. The specific details of their involvement and the events that precipitated the deadly shooting remain part of the ongoing investigation as the case moves through the legal system.
