Tavoris Shearls

On the early evening of July 20, 2022, Tavoris Shearls, a 36-year-old Black man, was killed in a shooting in Mobile, Alabama. At approximately 6:43 p.m., police officers responded to a call about a person shot at the intersection of Government Street and South Warren Street. Upon arrival, they found Shearls inside a vehicle, suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Mobile Police Department immediately launched a homicide investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Detectives worked to piece together the events that led to Shearls' death and soon focused on a person of interest. Within days, the investigation led them to identify a suspect.

On Sunday, July 24, 2022, authorities arrested 36-year-old Nelva McNeil and charged him with the murder of Tavoris Shearls. At the time of his arrest, McNeil was also charged with first-degree robbery and domestic violence harassment in connection with a separate and unrelated incident that had occurred in March 2022.

While the murder case proceeded, McNeil faced trial for the unrelated robbery. In October 2024, a jury convicted him on a lesser charge of third-degree robbery in that case. As of October 2024, Nelva McNeil had been convicted in the separate robbery case, and the murder charge for the death of Tavoris Shearls remained pending.