Tyler Artez Lee, an 18-year-old male from Birmingham, Alabama, was shot during a mid-afternoon burst of violence in the city’s Smithfield area, in the 200 block of 9th Avenue North. Police were dispatched after a 911 call reporting that two men had been shot, and when officers arrived they found Lee on a front porch with a gunshot wound while a second man was located nearby suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Both were rushed to UAB Hospital by Birmingham Fire and Rescue with injuries described as life-threatening.
As the first hours of the investigation unfolded, authorities described the shooting as the aftermath of a confrontation that turned suddenly lethal. Investigators said their preliminary findings indicated words were exchanged between Lee and a suspect before the gunfire began, and police believed the motive was tied to an ongoing dispute. The second victim survived long enough to be transported for emergency care, but Lee did not—detectives were later notified that he had succumbed to his injuries, and the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office reported he died at UAB Hospital on July 26, 2020, at 5:55 p.m.
In the days immediately following the shooting, public updates emphasized how little had solidified into an arrest. Police stated that there were no suspects in custody, and reporting at the time noted there was no word of any arrests connected to the case. Investigators asked anyone with information to contact the Birmingham Police Department Homicide Unit or Crime Stoppers, signaling that the case depended heavily on tips from the community and witnesses willing to speak. Within the publicly available accounts reviewed, no suspect names, charges, court proceedings, trials, or convictions were reported in connection with Lee’s death.
