A quiet Sunday morning in Bessemer, Alabama, turned tragic when 5-year-old Brandon Jamal Nation III was fatally shot while getting his hair cut. The young Black boy from Fairfield was with his mother at a house on 7th Avenue North on January 7, 2024, when gunfire erupted from outside the home just after 10 a.m.
The shots that pierced the residence struck Brandon. He was rushed to a local hospital but died from his injuries.
The man who was cutting his hair was also wounded in the attack and transported to a hospital in critical condition. Investigators stated that the shooting was not a random act of violence and that they believed the barber, not the child, was the intended target. Several other people were inside the home at the time but were not injured.
The Bessemer Police Department began an immediate investigation into the shooting. Detective Justin Burmiester later noted that the community played a significant part in the case, with many neighbors coming forward to share footage from their home security cameras. "Everyone was calling and saying I got this and I got that and it really helped our investigation," he said.
Within days, the investigation led to the arrests of three suspects. Kendrick O’Neal, 26, was the first to be taken into custody and was charged with capital murder, attempted murder, and shooting into an occupied dwelling. Police also arrested 24-year-old Tatyonna Estacia Smith and 25-year-old Kedarrius Mack. Both Smith and Mack were also charged with capital murder and attempted murder. All three were held in Jefferson County without bond.
As of January 2024, the capital murder and attempted murder charges against O'Neal, Smith, and Mack remained pending in court.
