In the early hours of Halloween morning, on October 31, 2023, the quiet of Timbertop Lane in Fosters, Alabama, was shattered by the sound of gunfire. When Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's deputies arrived at the scene around 6:30 a.m., they discovered 22-year-old Jaylin Reed suffering from a gunshot wound. A deputy who was also a paramedic was the first to reach him and immediately began to render aid, but his efforts were in vain.
Reed was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the shooting was swift, led by the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit. By that evening, they had their first suspect in custody. Twenty-year-old Tywann Long was arrested and charged with murder in connection with Reed's death. Investigators suggested that the motive behind the fatal shooting appeared to be related to the sale or possession of illegal narcotics, and they indicated that more arrests were possible as the investigation continued.
Less than two weeks later, a second arrest was made. On November 9, 2023, the Violent Crimes Unit announced that 22-year-old Justin Rubin had also been charged with murder for his alleged involvement in Jaylin Reed's death. Rubin was taken into custody and was being held in the Tuscaloosa County Jail without bond. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting remained ongoing.
