Malik Tyree Sutton

Malik Tyree Sutton was a 25-year-old Black man from Center Point, Alabama, who was known to loved ones as "Lil Bro." A graduate of Center Point High School who also attended Alabama A&M, he was described by friends as "cool, calm, and always trying to help." He worked at an Auto Zone, and his life was tragically cut short in the fall of 2021.

On the evening of Friday, October 29, 2021, a ShotSpotter alert for multiple gunshots brought Birmingham police officers to the 4200 block of Avenue L in the Ensley neighborhood. At approximately 10:20 p.m., officers patrolling an alleyway discovered Malik lying unresponsive in a driveway. He had sustained gunshot wound injuries during what authorities described as an altercation. Birmingham Fire and Rescue personnel arrived on the scene, but he could not be saved and was pronounced deceased.

The Birmingham Police Department immediately began a homicide investigation. Their work led to a significant development nearly two and a half months later. On January 10, 2022, authorities arrested a suspect, Eren Johnson, a 23-year-old man from Birmingham. Detectives obtained a warrant, and Johnson was charged with capital murder. He was subsequently booked into the Jefferson County Jail, where he was held without bond.

The case proceeded through the legal system for several years. In May 2025, Eren Johnson, then 26, accepted a plea agreement. He pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of felony murder in the death of Malik Sutton. As part of the agreement, Johnson was sentenced to serve 17 years in prison. This concluded the case as of May 2025.