On a Thursday afternoon in Huntsville, Alabama, 36-year-old Lucas Payne's life was tragically cut short. The incident, which unfolded on March 9, 2017, took place in the parking lot of a convenience store located at the junction of Oakwood Avenue and Pulaski Pike. Around noon, police responded to reports of a shooting and discovered Payne with a gunshot wound.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Initial investigations pointed towards a black SUV seen leaving the scene, heading east on Oakwood Avenue, with at least one Black male inside. An eyewitness reported seeing a Black male firing multiple shots at a sedan near the gas pumps before getting into a second vehicle and fleeing. Another vehicle, marked with bullet holes, was later found behind a car wash on Pulaski Pike.
The Huntsville Police Department's Major Crimes Unit quickly launched an investigation that led to the identification of a suspect. Just over two weeks later, on March 24, 2017, 29-year-old Adrian Hyder of Huntsville was arrested in connection with Payne's death. Officers with the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force apprehended Hyder without incident in the parking lot of a convenience store on Sparkman Drive.
Hyder was subsequently charged with murder. Authorities believe the shooting was not a random act of violence but rather stemmed from a prior altercation between the two men. Following his arrest, Hyder was held in the Madison County Jail. Lucas Payne was born on November 2, 1983.
