In the winter of 2016, the life of 18-year-old Jason Ender West was tragically cut short in a fatal shooting in Madison, Alabama. The incident, which took place on December 26, unfolded in the parking lot of a Sonic Drive-In and was the result of a purported drug deal that spiraled into a deadly robbery. West, a recent high school graduate with plans for college, had arranged to purchase Xanax from two individuals.
The male suspects were later identified as Dacedric Ward and Trevor
Cantrell. Investigations revealed that the drug transaction was a premeditated setup for a robbery. According to authorities, Cantrell was paid $24 by Ward to orchestrate the meeting with West. During the exchange, after West had handed over $300, Ward brandished a pistol and shot him once in the chest.
Following the shooting, both Ward and Cantrell were apprehended and faced charges of capital murder. The community was left to grapple with the senseless violence that claimed the life of a young man on the cusp of his future.
