In the streets of Birmingham, Alabama, a 29-year-old Black male named Antione 'Twin' Collier became a victim of a brazen daylight shooting on October 17, 2017. The attack occurred just before 1:30 p.m. in the parking lot of an Exxon service station as Collier and his girlfriend were about to enter the convenience store. Two unidentified gunmen unleashed a barrage of over 40 bullets, ending Collier's life on the sidewalk in front of the store.
His girlfriend was unharmed, but a woman in her 50s who was an innocent bystander was critically injured in the hail of gunfire.
Authorities believe Collier was the intended target of the shooting. His death was the culmination of a violent period in his life, as he had been shot on ten separate occasions in the six months leading up to his murder. Law enforcement officials were familiar with Collier, who had a history of involvement in criminal activities, including the robbery of drug dealers. In at least two of the prior shootings, he was reportedly stealing narcotics from another individual.
Despite his troubled past, there were moments when it seemed Collier might change his path. His mother, Kimberly Flowers, had reached out to the Birmingham Police Department's Violence Reduction Initiative in an effort to get help for her son. After being shot in the face in a previous incident, Collier expressed remorse from his hospital bed, texting an officer about his desire to speak to young Black males about violence once he recovered. However, upon his release, he returned to his previous lifestyle.
The two suspects in Collier's murder were described as two Black men who fled the scene in an unknown vehicle. As of the latest available information, no arrests have been made in connection with the homicide, and the case remains unsolved. Birmingham police had described the shooting as 'brazen' and 'very reckless,' a total disregard for human life.
