Stephen A. Keith Jr., a 77-year-old man from Birmingham, Alabama, was known to his loved ones as "pops" and remembered as selfless, loving, and caring. His life was cut short on the afternoon of Saturday, December 30, 2023, during a violent series of events that began on the city's east side.
Around 1:31 p.m., the Birmingham 911 communications division issued a "be on the lookout" alert for a male firing shots at a vehicle near Edwards Lake Road and Gadsden Highway.
Minutes later, several more calls reported a similar situation in the 9300 block of Parkway East. It was there that Mr. Keith was shot while driving his vehicle. After being struck by gunfire, his vehicle collided with a pickup truck.
When East Precinct officers arrived at 1:33 p.m., they responded to what appeared to be a motor vehicle accident. Birmingham Fire and Rescue Services transported Mr. Keith to UAB Hospital, believing his injuries were from the crash. The driver of the pickup truck was also taken to the hospital. It was only after he arrived that UAB medical staff discovered Mr. Keith had sustained a life-threatening gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased at 9:44 p.m.
Detectives with the Birmingham Police Department quickly learned that the shooting that killed Mr. Keith was not an isolated incident. Their investigation revealed that the same suspect was believed to be involved in another shooting earlier that day. In that first incident, which occurred in the 1300 block of High Point Terrace, an adult male was shot inside his vehicle but suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigators identified Anthony Dubose Jr., 25, of Birmingham, as the suspect in both shootings. A multi-agency effort involving the Birmingham Police Department’s East Precinct, Crime Reduction Team, and Tactical Operations Precinct, along with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the Trussville Police Department, located Dubose at Tom Bradford Park. He was taken into custody.
Authorities obtained an arrest warrant and charged Anthony Dubose Jr. with capital murder for the death of Stephen Keith Jr. He was also charged in connection with the shooting of the second man. The case against Dubose remained pending litigation as of December 2023.
