Tywaun Perkins, a 33-year-old Black man from Birmingham, Alabama, was shot and killed on October 31, 2013, while pumping gas at an Exxon station at 74 6th Avenue South. Police were called around 8:30 to 8:40 p.m. after witnesses reported a gunman emerging from behind an alley and opening fire, reportedly with a rifle. Perkins managed to make it into the store but collapsed from multiple gunshot wounds.

Accounts describe the attack as an ambush rather than a public confrontation: the shooter reportedly approached from a concealed direction and fired before Perkins could react. The shooter was described only as a Black male coming from behind the alley; no name was released. Police and Crime Stoppers publicized a reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, and appeals to the community for tips were made as the case remained listed among unsolved homicides.