Bernard Gregory Strother, a 48-year-old Black man, was killed in the early hours of September 8, 2015, in Bessemer, Alabama, when gunfire erupted along Westlake Drive near Ridge Avenue. Police were dispatched about 2:30 a.m. and found Strother dead at the scene from an apparent gunshot wound. A second man, Richard Harry Evans, was also shot and taken to UAB Hospital in Birmingham, where he later died.

Investigators described a fierce burst of gunfire, two victims down and a vehicle peppered with bullet holes. Authorities removed multiple illegal gambling machines from a nearby shed or building tied to the area’s activity, and investigators suggested the shooting may have been connected to a robbery or a dispute linked to gambling. Public updates at the time reported no arrests and police urged anyone with information to contact the Bessemer Police Department or submit an anonymous tip.

Did anyone in the area that night see something that could help resolve who was responsible?