Suspect arrested in Birmingham mass shooting that left 4 dead and 17 injured is also charged in two other killings

By Melissa Alonso and Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN

(CNN) — A 22-year-old man has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with three cases in Birmingham, Alabama, last month, including a mass shooting that left four people dead and 17 others wounded in the city’s lively entertainment district, police announced.

The suspect, Damien McDaniel, faces one count of capital murder – a charge that covers the killings of two or more people – and 17 counts of first-degree assault in the September 21 mass shooting, the Birmingham Police Department said Wednesday.

Police Chief Scott Thurmond did not provide details about the allegations against McDaniel, but the police department said he is arrested in connection with the deaths of all four killed during the attack: Anitra Holloman, Tahj Booker, Carlos McCain and Roderick Patterson Jr.

McDaniel appeared in court Thursday but didn’t enter a plea, Jefferson County Deputy District Attorney Joe Roberts told CNN. He is being held in the Jefferson County Jail with no bond. CNN has reached out to McDaniel’s attorneys for comment.

At the time of the attack, police said multiple shooters drove up to the city’s bustling Five Points South area, got out of their vehicle and opened fire. Investigators previously said it appeared to be a targeted “hit,” but Thurmond declined to discuss motive Wednesday.

“Today was a major step toward justice,” said Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin in a statement following the arrest. “After the horrific shooting at Five Points South, we vowed that our priority would be to find, capture, and arrest every person responsible for this heinous and brazen mass shooting.”

“We told you this is what we’d do, and this is what we did,” the mayor added.

Thurmond would not confirm whether there are more suspects in the case, saying the investigation is “ongoing.”

Holloman’s mother told CNN affiliate WVTM that knowing a suspect was behind bars finally allowed her to sleep at night.

“Every time I try to think, I don’t do nothing but see my baby’s lifeless body on the ground,” Candace Kemp said.

McDaniel is also charged with murder in the killings of two other people within days of the mass shooting, police said. It is unclear whether the cases are connected.

On September 19, McDaniel is accused of killing Diontranet Brown, 35, who was shot at the 604 Bar and Lounge, the police chief said. Investigators initially said they believed it was a targeted shooting, but the police chief on Wednesday said Brown appeared to be an innocent bystander.

Then, within 24 hours of the mass shooting, police say McDaniel was connected to the shooting death of Jamarcus McIntyre, who was found fatally shot on a sidewalk. McDaniel is charged with capital murder in the commission of a robbery and three counts of attempted murder in the case, and three other suspects have also been charged, police said.

More than 300 tips that flooded in from the community were “extremely helpful” in the cases, Thurmond said.

After the mass shooting, the mayor said gun violence has reached an “epidemic level” in Birmingham.

The incident is among more than 420 mass shootings in the United States so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The archive, like CNN, defines a mass shooting as one in which at least four people are shot, excluding the shooter.

While crime rates are trending down nationally, Birmingham saw a spike earlier this year.

FBI data show murder rates dropped by more than 26% nationally in the first three months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. As of March 4, Birmingham police reported 17 murders this year, compared to 12 during the same period last year, a 41.7% increase.

CNN’s Taylor Romine contributed to this report.

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