In the early morning hours of Sunday, December 17, 2023, a dispute in the parking lot of a Waffle House on Centerpoint Parkway in suburban Birmingham ended in the shooting death of 26-year-old Cristall Terrell Hereford. Originally from Huntsville, the young Black man was pronounced dead at the scene from a gunshot wound.
The incident unfolded around 1:30 a.m. following an emergency call reporting a man threatening to shoot patrons.
According to accounts from witnesses, Hereford had been making threats to other customers in the restaurant's parking lot. In the midst of this tense situation, another patron produced a firearm and shot Hereford. The individual who fired the shot then departed from the location. Authorities who arrived on the scene did not recover a weapon from Hereford.
Investigators with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office were able to identify and locate a suspect in the shooting. The individual was taken into custody for a brief period but was subsequently released. The evidence gathered during the investigation was turned over to the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office, which will determine what, if any, charges will be filed in connection with the death of Cristall Terrell Hereford.
