On the evening of May 31, 2019, Gewayne Dyrelle Gilbert, a 36-year-old Black male, was fatally shot in Birmingham, Alabama. The incident occurred at approximately 9:26 p.m. in the parking lot of Ensley Seafood, located in the 3100 block of Ensley Avenue. Officers from the West Precinct were dispatched to the scene after receiving a ShotSpotter alert and reports of a person down. Upon arrival, they discovered Gilbert unresponsive, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.
Birmingham Fire and Rescue personnel, along with the Jefferson County Coroner, pronounced him deceased at the scene. At the time of his death, Gilbert was a father of seven who had recently begun a new job at Acipco with the goal of better providing for his family.
The investigation into the shooting led authorities to identify a suspect, Jha'Kiren De'Antres Grier, who was 20 years old at the time and resided in Sterrett, Alabama. A murder warrant was issued for Grier, and he was subsequently taken into custody by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department. He was held at the Jefferson County Jail to await legal proceedings.
In January 2023, the case against Jha'Kiren De'Antres Grier, then 24, concluded in court. He was found guilty of a reduced charge of reckless manslaughter in connection with Gewayne Gilbert's death. The defense had argued that Grier acted under the belief that Gilbert was reaching for a firearm during an argument that preceded the shooting. However, testimony presented during the trial revealed that Gilbert was, in fact, unarmed. Following the conviction, Jefferson County Circuit Judge Teresa Pulliam sentenced Grier to 15 years in prison for his role in the fatal shooting.
