2023, at the Circle K on Tallapoosa Street. Nearly five years earlier, his
father was fatally shot at another Birmingham gas station.
The scene at a Birmingham gas station Sunday night was all too familiar for one family.
Nearly five years after Demetrius Antwan Davis Sr. was gunned down in a targeted shooting at M & N Groceries on the city’s west side, his son met the same tragic fate. Also on a Sunday, and also at a gas station.
Demetrius Antwan Davis Jr., 25, was fatally shot at the Circle K on Tallapoosa Street while he was pumping gas. Birmingham police said it appeared Davis Jr. was ambushed.
Officer Truman Fitzgerald said officers were dispatched to the business at 6 p.m. Sunday on a report of a person shot. They arrived on the scene to find Davis Jr. unresponsive in the parking lot.
Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service pronounced him dead on the scene.
Davis Jr. had played football UAB. Today would have been his father’s birthday.
Fitzgerald said the suspect, who has not yet been identified, approached the victim and opened fire. The victim’s vehicle was parked at a gas pump with the gas nozzle still in his tank.
“From evidence on the scene, it would appear that the victim did return fire,” Fitzgerald said.
“It was not random,’’ he said. “From the evidence our detectives have gathered, it would appear our victim was ambushed.”
No arrests have been made.
“There’s over 100 people at this scene,’’ Fitzgerald said. “If we could just a few of them, one of them, to come forward and give us information,” it would help the investigation.
Fitzgerald said the crowd, though large, was peaceful and backup was call solely because of the number of people out there. “They’re just distraught over their loved one,’’ he said.
Davis Sr. was a 37-year-old father of three when he was killed Oct. 14, 2018, outside M & N Groceries. The shooting happened at 9:20 a.m. at the corner store on 24th Street and Pearson Avenue. Davis was pronounced dead on the scene after he collapsed just feet from the store.
Police at the time said the suspect walked him to him and shot him. No one was ever arrested in his slaying.
Davis Jr. was the city’s second homicide of the day Sunday, and the seventh in six days.
Earlier Sunday, a teen was killed in a shootout on the city’s southwest side.
There have 24 homicides so far this year in Birmingham. Of those, two have been ruled justifiable and therefore aren’t deemed criminal.
“My question again is, how are we going to handle our disagreements,’’ Fitzgerald said. “The sad part about these scenes is what our community members are subjected to. Seeing how many people are distraught, it just goes to show you how badly our city is hurting right now.”
Anyone with information is asked to call homicide detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
