A holiday weekend was shattered by violence when 41-year-old Dennis Collins was shot and killed in his Birmingham, Alabama, home on July 4, 2026. The fatal incident unfolded in the early morning hours, around 2 a.m., in the 100 block of 69th Place North. When police responded to a report of gunfire, they discovered Collins unresponsive inside the residence. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The news of his death quickly rippled through the community, marking a tragic end to what should have been a festive occasion. An obituary remembers him as someone who touched many lives and will be fondly remembered for the moments shared and memories created.
The investigation into the shooting was extensive, leading authorities to a suspect who was not a local resident. Birmingham Police Department's Violent Crime Apprehension Team, with the assistance of the Montgomery Police Department's SWAT Team and Gang Unit, identified 36-year-old Dontrell Bennett of Glendale, Arizona, as the alleged perpetrator. Investigators tracked Bennett to a short-term rental property in Montgomery, Alabama, where he was taken into custody without incident. The motive for the shooting and the circumstances that brought Bennett from Arizona to Alabama are part of the ongoing investigation.
Following his arrest, Dontrell Bennett was charged with capital murder in connection with Dennis Collins's death. One of the reasons for the capital murder charge is that the shooting reportedly took place in the presence of children under the age of 14, although they were not related to Collins. After his capture in Montgomery, Bennett was transported to the Jefferson County Jail, where he is being held without bond. The case against him will now proceed through the legal system. This overview encapsulates the events from the initial tragic discovery of Dennis Collins's death to the subsequent arrest and charging of the primary suspect, Dontrell Bennett, highlighting the interstate nature of the investigation that led to his apprehension.
