In the early morning hours of a Friday in June 2025, 33-year-old Antoine Abdallah Akl, a Lebanese-American man, was found deceased in his vehicle on a county road west of Florence, Alabama. He had sustained a fatal gunshot wound. At the time of his death, Akl had been residing in Toney, Alabama.
According to the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office, their investigation indicated that Akl had traveled to the residence on County Road 23 to meet with a juvenile.
A family member of the juvenile reported witnessing the two together inside Akl's vehicle. Authorities stated that a confrontation occurred, during which a single shot was fired, striking Akl. The shooter was identified as the younger brother of the juvenile who was in the vehicle with Akl. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, the Sheriff's Office announced that the investigation was ongoing and complex, citing links to other open investigations as a reason for the delay in filing charges.
The family of Antoine Akl has publicly contested the official narrative of events. They held a protest in Florence, asserting that their son was 'lured' to the location under false pretenses and murdered. Akl's father stated that his son was shot in the back of the neck at near point-blank range while he was unarmed in his vehicle. The family's attorney claimed that the investigation was 'botched' from the beginning and that the shooter, whom they also identified as a minor, was never questioned by law enforcement. They criticized the Sheriff's Office for, in their view, hastily portraying their son as having traveled to meet an underage girl.
As of the latest available online reports from the summer of 2025, no arrests have been made or charges filed in connection with the death of Antoine Abdallah Akl. The case remains an open investigation with the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office. There have been no subsequent public announcements regarding any grand jury proceedings, indictments, or trial dates related to the shooting.
