Birmingham, Alabama – On what started out as an average Wednesday evening, a violent chain of events in southwest Birmingham left two men dead and the community in shock. Authorities have named the fatalities as 34-year-old Damone Gardner and 26-year-old Malike Williams. Both men tragically lost their life in two different but perhaps related shootings. Police are currently in a time crunch to ascertain whether the fatal instances are connected to a personal dispute that took a lethal turn.
Malike Williams was killed in the first incident, which happened in a residential neighborhood at approximately five o’clock in the evening. Law enforcement’s first findings suggest that the incident might have been caused by an encounter that turned violent due to a disagreement on social media. Before there were any gunshots, witnesses on the site claimed to have heard intense arguments. Williams was hit during the altercation and lay seriously hurt until help could reach him.
Williams was taken by paramedics to UAB Hospital, where doctors did everything they could to save him. Unfortunately, Williams passed away from his wounds not long after they arrived, despite their best attempts. Friends and family came together to grieve the loss of a young man whose life was brutally cut short as a result of his death, sending shockwaves through the neighborhood.
At about 8:30 PM, less than four hours after the initial gunshot, Birmingham police received a call about another shooting that had occurred not far from Williams’s death. Officers were sent to the spot this time by ShotSpotter equipment, which is intended to identify gunfire and notify authorities of its position. When they got there, they discovered 34-year-old Damone Gardner unconscious in the center of the street.
