On December 3, 2022, at about 2:30 p.m., two men were killed by gunfire at the Phenix City Riverwalk. Forty-year-old Darren Darrlyn Tremaine Harris, a Black male, was shot eight to nine times, and 32-year-old John Arthur Burkus was struck six times. Witnesses reported seeing shots fired from the 14th Street Walking Bridge before additional gunfire.

Phenix City police released surveillance video of a person of interest walking toward the Riverwalk; the suspect’s mother recognized him by his gait and contacted authorities, leading to the arrest of 29-year-old Damon Daniels Jr. Two other witnesses placed someone matching Daniels’ description at the scene wearing the same teal pullover seen on the video. Daniels’ account to investigators changed over 12 hours of interviews — from denying being in Phenix City, to claiming to be a witness, then to admitting the shootings while asserting self-defense and saying he had taken methamphetamine that morning.

Daniels was charged with capital murder, held without bond after a January 17, 2023 preliminary hearing, and prosecutors intended to seek the death penalty. If anyone witnessed activity on the Riverwalk or the 14th Street Walking Bridge that afternoon, please come forward with information.