In the late hours of a Saturday night in June 2017, a tragedy unfolded at a Citgo gas station on Parkway East in Birmingham, Alabama, that would cut short the life of a beloved husband, father, and entrepreneur. Mike Mulwa Ngangi, a 29-year-old man of Kenyan descent, was working at the station he owned when he was shot during an apparent robbery. The incident occurred around 11:30 p.m. on June 3rd.
Despite being rushed to UAB Hospital for surgery, Ngangi succumbed to his injuries and passed away in the early morning hours. He was a resident of Acworth, Georgia, and commuted to Birmingham to manage his business. At the time of his death, his wife was eight months pregnant with their third child.
The news of his violent death sent shockwaves through the local Kenyan-American community, where he was known as a kind and ambitious man with a contagious smile. A childhood friend recounted their journey to the United States together in 2008 to build a new life. Ngangi was not only a gas station owner but also the proprietor of a clothing line popular within the Kenyan community. His cousin lamented the senselessness of the act, stating that if the killer had only known the man he was, with a young family and another child on the way, he might not have pulled the trigger. Hundreds gathered for a memorial service in Cobb County, Georgia, to mourn the loss of a man described as always happy and motivating.
In the days following the shooting, the Birmingham Police Department announced an arrest in the case. An 18-year-old from Birmingham named Chandler Bryant was taken into custody and charged with capital murder. The U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force apprehended Bryant at a residence on Huffman Road. Investigators revealed that a witness had come forward, claiming that Bryant had admitted to the robbery and shooting. Furthermore, it was reported that Bryant later confessed to the crime to the lead detective on the case.
During the investigation, a. 22-caliber revolver, believed to be the murder weapon, was recovered from Bryant's home, hidden under a seat cushion. An autopsy confirmed that Ngangi had died from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Bryant was held in the Jefferson County Jail without bond. In September 2017, his capital murder case was sent to a grand jury for a possible indictment, marking a step forward in the pursuit of justice for Mike Ngangi and his grieving family.
