Tahj Da’Jour Booker, a 27-year-old Black man described by his aunt as a “teddy bear,” was out with his cousin on the night of Saturday, September 21, 2024. They were in Birmingham, Alabama, celebrating his high school alumni week in the city’s lively Five Points South entertainment district.
Just after 11 p.m., as Booker stood in a crowd waiting to get into a nightclub on the 2000 block of Magnolia Avenue South, the evening turned into a scene of horror.
Multiple shooters exited a vehicle and opened fire on the group with what police suspected were fully automatic weapons. Responding officers found a chaotic scene with over 100 shell casings on the ground. Booker was one of three people found unresponsive on the sidewalk; he had been fatally shot. In total, the mass shooting claimed the lives of four people and left 17 others wounded.
According to a social media post by his brother, Jerome Booker, Tahj’s first instinct was to protect others. When the shooting stopped, Tahj was found shielding another victim, 21-year-old Anitra Hollman, with his body. It was only after his brother reached him that Tahj said, “I’m shot,” before taking his last breath. Hollman also died in the attack, along with Carlos McCain, 27, and Roderick Lynn Patterson Jr., 26.
Investigators, including the FBI, quickly determined the shooting was not random but a targeted “hit” or murder-for-hire in which many bystanders were caught in the crossfire. While police noted some of the victims had criminal histories, court records showed that Booker did not. A combined reward of up to $100,000 was offered for information leading to an arrest.
The investigation connected the mass shooting to a violent crime spree across the city. In October 2024, authorities arrested Damian McDaniel, who was eventually charged in connection with the deaths of 11 people and the wounding of 30 others in Birmingham. Further investigation led to capital murder charges against several other individuals in the Five Points South shooting, including Ny’Quan Lollar and Chrishawn McClemore Bruce.
The case continued to develop with another arrest. In September 2026, police took Aaron Jones-Turpin into custody and charged him in connection with the mass shooting. He was booked into the Jefferson County Jail and held without bond. At the time, a police spokesperson reaffirmed their commitment to the case, stating, “We will continue this work until every person responsible is held accountable.” The cases against the charged individuals are proceeding through the court system.
