On a warm summer night, twenty-five-year-old Zakia Denise Bibbs was traveling in a car with friends, heading north on Interstate 20/59 in Tuscaloosa County. It was July 5, 2019, and the group was on their way to Atlanta to celebrate a birthday weekend. As they drove, an SUV, possibly a Nissan Pathfinder, approached their Ford Fusion from behind with its high beams on.
Investigators believe a tense exchange unfolded on the highway as the two vehicles repeatedly passed each other.
The situation escalated dramatically when the SUV pulled alongside the Fusion and an occupant opened fire. Several people in the car were struck by the gunfire, including Zakia. The driver of the Fusion managed to exit the interstate at Exit 97 near Lake View, where they discovered that Zakia had been fatally wounded.
The shooting, which is suspected to have stemmed from a road rage incident, left investigators with a challenging case. The lack of witnesses and physical evidence from the moving vehicles on a holiday weekend has hampered the investigation. Her death marked the first unsolved homicide in Tuscaloosa County since 2013.
In the months following the shooting, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey announced a $5,000 reward for any information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for Zakia Bibbs' death. Despite this incentive and pleas from her family for answers, the case remains unsolved. No arrests have been made, and no suspects have been publicly identified in connection with the fatal shooting. Zakia, a graduate of Holt High School with aspirations of becoming a cosmetologist, left behind a young son.
