Demarkus Moss Sr.

On the evening of Friday, September 2, 2022, Demarkus Etwan Moss Sr., a 22-year-old Black man from Birmingham, Alabama, was driving with his two small children, a moment that turned tragic in a sudden burst of violence. The shooting that claimed his life, and eventually his daughter's, has left a family shattered and a community searching for answers.

The incident began around 5:50 p.m. as Moss drove his white Infiniti G35 along the 800 block of Arkadelphia Road. His young daughter and infant son were passengers in the car. It was then that an unidentified suspect in a separate vehicle began firing shots into Moss's car. Struck by the gunfire, Moss lost control of the Infiniti, which traveled nearly two blocks before colliding with a grey Chevrolet Silverado in the 1000 block of Arkadelphia Road.

When Birmingham Police Department officers from the North and West Precincts arrived at the crash scene, they found Moss slumped over in the driver's seat with an apparent gunshot wound. His two children were injured in the crash; his daughter was unresponsive, and his infant son was also hurt. The occupants of the Silverado also sustained injuries. Birmingham Fire and Rescue personnel arrived and pronounced Demarkus Moss Sr. deceased at the scene. The other injured parties, including Moss's children, were transported to local hospitals for treatment.

Investigators with the Birmingham Police Department quickly determined that Moss was the intended target of the shooting. He was the only person struck by the gunfire. His daughter, Madison Davis, sustained a traumatic brain injury from the force of the car crash. For nearly two years, she fought for her life at Children's of Alabama. Tragically, on June 25, 2024, four-year-old Madison succumbed to her injuries. Following an autopsy, the Jefferson County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled her death a homicide, directly linking it to the violent events that had killed her father.

The deaths of Demarkus Moss Sr. and his daughter Madison Davis are being investigated as a double homicide by the Birmingham Police Department. In the years since the shooting, authorities have repeatedly appealed to the public for help. They believe someone has information that could lead them to the person or people responsible for firing the shots that set the devastating chain of events in motion.

As of August 2024, no arrests have been made in the case, and no suspects have been publicly identified. The investigation remains open and active. The loss has left a profound void for the family, who lost a young father and, two years later, a young child. The case stands as Birmingham's 92nd murder investigation of 2022, and Madison's death added to the city's homicide count for 2024.

Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama is offering a cash reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest in this case. Detectives are urging anyone with knowledge about the shooting, the suspect vehicle, or those involved to come forward. Anyone with information pertaining to the case is asked to contact the Birmingham Police Department’s Homicide Unit at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.