An argument between two acquaintances at a Mobile, Alabama, apartment complex ended in tragedy on the afternoon of Sunday, March 17, 2024. Aeron Lao, a 24-year-old Asian man, was shot and killed during the dispute at the Bel Air Apartments on Bel Air Boulevard.
Mobile Police Department officers responded to a call about a male shot at the complex at approximately 4:06 p.m. Upon arrival, they discovered Lao deceased from a gunshot wound.
The investigation began immediately at the scene, where officers were able to quickly identify and locate a suspect who was still present.
Authorities arrested 25-year-old Alec Tran at the apartment complex. Investigators determined that Tran and Lao knew each other and had been involved in an argument just before the fatal shooting. Following his arrest, Tran was transported to the Metro Jail and formally charged with murder in connection with Aeron Lao's death.
On March 21, 2024, Alec Tran appeared in court for his arraignment and pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. A judge set his preliminary hearing for the following month and scheduled a bond hearing. As of March 2024, the case was proceeding through the court system.
