In the early morning hours of August 15, 2020, a planned robbery in the New Canaan community of Cullman County, Alabama, escalated into a deadly shooting, leaving two men dead, including 36-year-old Dalton Matthew Bannister of Blountsville. Bannister, along with Tyler Dwight Dooley, 26, of Arab, had allegedly gone to a residence on County Road 1854 with the intention of robbing Levi Benjamin Lawrence, 24, of Cullman.
Investigators determined that Lawrence was visiting the home of Ricky
Dale Martin, 48, and was with Jacob Andrew Drane, 21, when Bannister, Dooley, and an unidentified woman arrived. Lawrence, who was armed, attempted to leave but was confronted by an armed Bannister. A gunfight erupted between the men, resulting in the deaths of both Bannister and Lawrence at the scene. The woman who arrived with Bannister and Dooley was also shot and seriously injured.
Following the shootout, Dooley fled the scene but was later located and arrested in Arab through the collaborative efforts of the Cullman County Sheriff's Office, the Arab Police Department, and the Marshall County Sheriff's Office. He was subsequently charged with the murder of Levi Benjamin Lawrence. The investigation led to further arrests. Jacob Andrew Drane was also charged with murder in connection with Lawrence's death. The homeowner, Ricky Dale Martin, faced charges of unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. Authorities have described Lawrence as the victim in the incident, stating that he was defending himself from the robbery attempt initiated by Bannister and Dooley.
