On a summer evening in Birmingham, Alabama, the life of 19-year-old Dwight D'Angelo Thomas Jr. was cut short in a hail of gunfire. On July 25, 2022, at approximately 8:55 PM, officers from the Birmingham Police Department were dispatched to the 700 block of 6th Avenue West after multiple ShotSpotter alerts indicated a barrage of gunfire in the area. Upon their arrival, they discovered a grim scene. An Audi SUV was parked along the road with one of its doors ajar.
Inside, they found the unresponsive body of Thomas, a Black male, who had sustained a fatal gunshot wound. Birmingham Fire and Rescue personnel arrived soon after and pronounced him deceased at the scene.
Investigators quickly determined that the Audi SUV Thomas was in had been reported stolen from nearby Shelby County. The sheer amount of violence was staggering; evidence at the scene suggested a significant exchange of gunfire, with law enforcement recovering between 50 and 60 shell casings. Some of the rounds were believed to have been fired from fully automatic weapons, indicating the possible involvement of multiple shooters. The brazen and brutal nature of the attack left the community shaken and searching for answers.
In the aftermath of the shooting, details about a motive remained elusive to investigators. The incident marked the city's 72nd homicide investigation of 2022, a year that saw a significant spike in violent crime in Birmingham. Despite the intensity of the investigation and public pleas for information, no arrests have been made in connection with the murder of Dwight D'Angelo Thomas Jr. The case remains an open and active investigation, with authorities urging anyone with information to come forward to help bring those responsible to justice.
