In the late afternoon of September 27, 2020, a dispute over something as ordinary as parking spaces escalated into deadly violence in Birmingham, Alabama, claiming the life of 42-year-old Michael Alexander McGee. A Black male, McGee was found by responding officers lying on the side of the road in the 3700 block of 42nd Street North at approximately 2:15 p.m., suffering from a gunshot wound. He was rushed to UAB Hospital, but his injuries proved to be fatal.
The altercation that led to the shooting reportedly involved two other individuals who were also wounded, though their conditions were not publicly detailed. The argument over parking spaces quickly spiraled out of control, ending in the gunfire that struck McGee and the two others. The preliminary investigation by the Birmingham Police Department pointed to this dispute as the primary motive for the tragic event that unfolded on that Sunday afternoon.
Following an investigation by Birmingham Police detectives, the case was presented to the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office. On January 14, 2021, murder warrants were issued for two suspects: 51-year-old Curtis Sanders and 18-year-old Joshua Sanders, both residents of Birmingham. The two men were taken into custody on February 1, 2021, and booked into the Jefferson County Jail to await legal proceedings for their alleged roles in the death of Michael Alexander McGee.
