In the early morning hours of July 31, 2024, a beloved 67-year-old grandmother, Ethel Moore Thomas, was tragically killed in a senseless act of violence in Prichard, Alabama. Ms. Thomas was asleep in her bed, next to her husband, when a barrage of bullets from a drive-by shooting tore through the walls of her home on Sample Avenue. She was struck by the gunfire and pronounced dead at the scene.
The shooting, which occurred around 6 a.m., was one of three similar incidents that morning that authorities believe were likely gang-related.
Ethel Moore Thomas was an innocent victim, a woman known for her kindness and love for her community. Her family and friends remember her as a fighter who had overcome cancer twice and other health issues. She was a pillar of her neighborhood, known for her love of cooking and hosting events that brought people together. Her sudden and violent death has left her family and the entire community in mourning, struggling to comprehend how such a tragedy could happen to a woman who was simply resting in the safety of her own home.
In the wake of the shooting, law enforcement officials from the Prichard Police Department and the Mobile County Sheriff's Office have vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice. They have increased patrols in the area and are actively investigating the case, which they have described as a 'senseless, reckless disregard for human life.' As of now, the individuals responsible for the drive-by shooting that claimed the life of Ethel Moore Thomas remain at large. The community held a candlelight vigil in her honor, remembering a woman who was a mother figure to many and whose loss has left a profound void.
