On a tragic Friday evening in Birmingham, Alabama, the life of 22-year-old Demarkus Etwan Moss Sr. was cut short in a brazen act of violence. On September 2, 2022, Moss was driving his white Infiniti G35 on Arkadelphia Road with his two precious toddlers, an infant son and a two-year-old daughter, secured in the back. As he drove near the front of Birmingham-Southern College, an assailant in another vehicle unleashed a barrage of bullets into Moss's car.
Struck multiple times, Moss
valiantly tried to escape the danger, continuing to drive for nearly half a mile. His flight for life ended tragically when his car collided with a gray Chevy Silverado in the 1000 block of Arkadelphia Road, not far from the entrance to Interstate 59/20. The impact of the crash brought his vehicle to a halt, and when first responders arrived at the chaotic scene around 5:50 p.m., they found Moss unresponsive, slumped over the steering wheel. He was rushed to UAB Hospital, but his wounds were too severe, and he was pronounced dead.
The horror of the event was compounded by the injuries sustained by his children. Both his toddler daughter and infant son were injured in the crash and transported to Children's of Alabama. His son's injuries were not life-threatening, but his daughter was listed in critical condition. She had sustained a traumatic brain injury in the accident, and though she was eventually released from the hospital, she was later readmitted due to complications. For nearly two years, the little girl fought, but she never walked or talked again, eventually succumbing to her injuries in June 2024. The occupants of the other vehicle involved in the crash also sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
In the wake of the shooting, the Birmingham Police Department launched a homicide investigation, appealing to the public for any information that could lead to an arrest. Authorities believe the shooting was not a random act of violence but that Moss was intentionally targeted. Despite their pleas and ongoing investigation, no arrests have been announced in the case, and the identity of the person or persons responsible for the death of Demarkus Etwan Moss and the subsequent death of his young daughter remains unknown. The case remains an open and painful chapter for a grieving family and a community still seeking answers and justice.
