A family barbecue on Cotton Avenue Southwest in Birmingham ended in tragedy on March 13, 2024, when 56-year-old Willie Carr was shot during an evening gathering and died of his injuries. The shooting turned a private cookout into a homicide scene, and the Birmingham Police Department opened an active investigation into what happened that night.

Police later located a suspect in neighboring Chilton County and took that person into custody in a stolen food truck; authorities have not publicly identified the individual pending further action. The investigation remains ongoing as officials work to establish the full sequence of events and any motive.

If anyone attended the cookout or has information about activity on Cotton Avenue Southwest that evening, please come forward to assist the investigation.