A man is shot while driving which is later struck by a train On a late summer evening in Birmingham, Alabama, the life of 35-year-old Howard Dewayne Bruce came to a violent and tragic end. In the early moments of September 5, 2017, Bruce was fatally shot while in his truck. Following the shooting, his vehicle was struck by a Norfolk Southern train, compounding the tragic scene. First responders found Bruce deceased in the driver's seat.
The investigation into the death of the male victim led to the arrests of two men, Joemarcus Fitts and Frederick
Temple, who were both 28 at the time. In the spring of 2018, Fitts was apprehended by the U.S. Marshals, and Temple was arrested by Birmingham Police the following month. Both men were charged with capital murder in connection with Bruce's death.
However, the legal proceedings took a significant turn in June 2018 when a Jefferson County Circuit Judge dismissed the capital murder charges against both Fitts and Temple. The attorney for Joemarcus Fitts stated that there was evidence indicating her client was not the individual who fired the weapon and that he should not have been arrested. In the wake of the dismissals, the Deputy District Attorney affirmed that the investigation into the death of Howard Bruce would not be closed and would remain an ongoing inquiry.
There have been no subsequent public announcements regarding any new suspects or arrests in the continuing investigation into the homicide of Howard Dewayne Bruce. The case officially remains unresolved, leaving questions surrounding the circumstances of his death unanswered.
