Cristall Terrell Hereford, 26, was shot and killed in the early morning hours of Sunday, December 17, 2023, after a dispute in the parking lot of a Waffle House on Centerpoint Parkway in suburban Birmingham. The incident happened around 1:30 a.m. following an emergency call that reported a man threatening to shoot patrons. Witnesses said Hereford had been making threats to other customers in the restaurant’s parking lot when another patron produced a firearm and shot him. Hereford, who was originally from Huntsville, was pronounced dead at the scene; no weapon was recovered from him.

Investigators with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office identified and located a suspect, who was taken into custody briefly and then released. Evidence from the investigation was forwarded to the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office for review and a decision on whether charges will be filed. Does anyone have information about the events at the Waffle House that night or about Hereford’s movements prior to the shooting?