On a summer day in Birmingham, Alabama, the life of Cardarrius Derrell Bryant, a 30-year-old Black male, was tragically cut short. On Thursday, July 13, 2023, Bryant and another man, 28-year-old Deforest Chanier Kines Jr., were discovered inside a vehicle in the 500 block of Zinnia Lane. Both men had been fatally shot in what the Birmingham Police Department is investigating as a double homicide.
The initial response from law enforcement came around 10 a.m.
when East Precinct officers were dispatched to the scene following a report of shots fired. Upon their arrival, they found the vehicle riddled with bullets. Inside, they discovered Bryant and Kines unresponsive, both suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Despite the immediate arrival of Birmingham Fire and Rescue personnel, both men were pronounced deceased at the scene.
As of now, the investigation into the deaths of Cardarrius Bryant and Deforest Kines remains open, and authorities have not publicly identified any suspects or made any arrests in connection with the double homicide. The case has seemingly grown cold, prompting Bryant's mother, Cara, to take action. In hopes of generating new leads, she has offered $5,000 of her own money, in addition to the $5,000 offered by Crime Stoppers, for information that could lead to a breakthrough in the case.
The mother of the victim has expressed the deep pain of her loss, describing her son as a 'mama's boy' who was good with math and had a passion for football. Bryant was a father of three, and his young children are now left to grapple with his absence. Recent arrests in other Birmingham homicide cases have given his mother a glimmer of hope that her family will one day see justice for her son.
