In the early morning hours of Sunday, May 5, 2024, 24-year-old David Isaiah Westbrook was killed in a mass shooting at a Shell gas station on Third Avenue West in Birmingham. Investigators say more than 150 shots were fired in a shootout between two groups just after 2 a.m. Westbrook, a Black male, was found unresponsive inside his sedan after it had crashed into a utility pole near an Auto Zone in the 700 block of Third Avenue West. Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service pronounced him dead at the scene.

Six other people were wounded in the chaotic exchange. Police described the gunfire as indiscriminate, with numerous people shooting and bystanders likely unaware of who they were hitting. Two men were taken into custody for questioning after being seen fleeing and discarding firearms, but no formal charges in connection with Westbrook’s death have been announced. The shooting has renewed attention on the Shell station and nearby properties, which the city has sued as a public nuisance and launching pad for criminal activity. If anyone witnessed the shooting or has information about what happened that night, please come forward.