On the day after Christmas in 2022, a violent encounter in Birmingham, Alabama, ended the life of Charles Edward Smith Jr. A 25-year-old Black man from nearby Adamsville, Mr. Smith was born on September 12, 1997, to Casemiea Jones and Charles Edward Smith Sr. He was survived by his family and friends, who held funeral services for him in early January 2023.
The shooting occurred shortly before 2:00 a.m. on Monday, December 26, in the 2700 block of Jefferson Avenue Southwest.
Officers with the Birmingham Police Department responded to a call and found Mr. Smith suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Birmingham Fire and Rescue personnel pronounced him dead at the scene. A woman and a teenager who were also present at the apartment complex were injured in the shooting and taken to a local hospital.
The investigation led to a swift arrest. Around 10:00 a.m. on the same day as the shooting, police took 21-year-old Alphonso David Lockhart III of Birmingham into custody. He was initially placed on an investigative hold at the Birmingham City Jail while detectives continued their work.
After police presented their findings to the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office, warrants were issued for Lockhart’s arrest. He was formally charged with one count of murder in the death of Charles Smith and two counts of attempted murder for the injuries sustained by the other two victims. A judge set his bond at $1.5 million for the murder charge and $60,000 for each of the attempted murder charges. Following the charges, Lockhart was transferred to the Jefferson County Jail. As of the announcement of his arrest in December 2022, the case against him is proceeding through the court system.
