On a Tuesday afternoon, April 10, 2018, a transaction intended to be a heroin deal spiraled into deadly violence on Hillview Lane in Birmingham, Alabama, claiming the life of 30-year-old Gavan Jamal Averhart. Averhart, a male resident of Bessemer, was discovered by Jefferson County sheriff's deputies in the driver's seat of a car, having sustained a fatal gunshot wound.
The grim scene, which deputies responded to at approximately 3:20 p.m., also included a second man in the vehicle who was seriously injured, and the presence of a gun, illegal drugs, and cash inside the car.
The investigation quickly led authorities to a third individual, 23-year-old De'Erin Ward of Center Point, who had arrived at a local hospital with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. During questioning, Ward provided detectives with his account of the events. He stated that Averhart and the other man, later identified as 34-year-old Ronnie Owens Davis of Birmingham, had picked him up from a nearby apartment complex to purchase heroin. According to Ward, once they arrived on Hillview Lane, the situation escalated when Averhart and Davis attempted to rob him.
Ward claimed that Davis, who was in the front passenger seat, brandished a firearm and shot him. In response, Ward drew his own weapon and fired back, hitting both Averhart and Davis. Following this exchange of gunfire, a friend transported Ward to the hospital. Based on the investigation, the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office issued an arrest warrant for Ronnie Owens Davis, charging him with murder under the Felony Murder Rule. This rule applies when a death occurs during the commission of a dangerous felony, such as robbery, regardless of intent to kill. Davis was also found to have several outstanding felony warrants for failure to appear in court and probation violations. After being treated for his injuries, he was transferred to the Jefferson County Jail and held without bond. Both Davis and Ward were identified as convicted felons, which opened the possibility of federal charges for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
