In the late afternoon of March 27, 2022, a dispute in the parking lot of the Plush Bar and Grill in Bessemer, Alabama, turned deadly, claiming the life of 32-year-old Justin DeNorman Groom. The male victim, a resident of Homewood, was found by Bessemer Police Department officers suffering from gunshot wounds at approximately 2:20 p.m. in the 4000 block of 9th Avenue North.
Despite the efforts of emergency medical personnel, Groom was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Investigations into the shooting revealed that a verbal altercation between Groom and another man, 29-year-old Larry James Knight Jr., had escalated tragically. The argument led to both men drawing firearms, and in the ensuing confrontation, Groom was fatally shot. The incident marked the second homicide of the year in Bessemer, raising concerns within the community about the devastating consequences of gun violence.
Following the investigation, authorities moved swiftly to apprehend the individual responsible for Groom's death. Larry James Knight Jr. was arrested and subsequently charged with murder in connection with the fatal shooting. He was taken into custody and held at the Jefferson County Jail, with his bond set at $250,000. Law enforcement officials noted that the unfortunate outcome could have been entirely avoided if the initial disagreement had not escalated to the use of deadly weapons.
