Dennis Collins, 41, was shot and killed in his Birmingham, Alabama, home in the early morning hours of July 4, 2026. Police responded about 2 a.m. to reports of gunfire in the 100 block of 69th Place North and found Collins unresponsive inside the residence; he was pronounced dead at the scene. An obituary notes he touched many lives and will be fondly remembered.

Investigators identified a suspect who was not a local resident. Birmingham Police Department’s Violent Crime Apprehension Team, with assistance from the Montgomery Police Department’s SWAT Team and Gang Unit, located 36-year-old Dontrell Bennett of Glendale, Arizona, at a short-term rental in Montgomery and took him into custody without incident. He was charged with capital murder, with one stated basis for that charge being the shooting occurred in the presence of children under 14 who were not related to Collins. Bennett was transported to the Jefferson County Jail and is being held without bond as the case proceeds through the legal system.

If anyone knew Dennis Collins, his household, or saw activity in the 100 block of 69th Place North around July 4, please come forward with information.