In the fall of 2025, a dispute at a Birmingham auto parts store tragically escalated, leading to the death of 73-year-old Alfred Stephens of Bessemer. On the morning of October 17th, Stephens was at Pull-A-Part on 27th Avenue North when he became involved in a verbal altercation with another man. The argument took a violent turn when the other individual shot Stephens.
Emergency services were dispatched to the scene at approximately 10:01 a.m., where they found Stephens unresponsive and
bleeding from a gunshot wound to his side. He was quickly transported to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital for treatment. Despite the efforts of medical staff, Alfred Stephens succumbed to his injuries and passed away the following day, on October 18, 2025.
The investigation into the shooting led authorities to identify 22-year-old Jaden Ellis Sanders of Birmingham as the suspect. On October 20, 2025, members of the Birmingham Police Department's crime reduction team located and arrested Sanders in the 1100 block of Hayden Road in Warrior. Following his arrest, Sanders was slated to be booked into the Jefferson County Jail.
