A bonfire gathering on Culver Road in Tuscaloosa County turned deadly overnight Sunday into Monday when a 35-year-old man was shot multiple times and later died at the hospital. Within hours, authorities had a suspect in custody on a murder charge.
Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a report of a shooting in the 4300 block of Culver Road around 10:20 p.m. on Nov. 8, according to Tuscaloosa News. The victim, identified as Jerome DeWayne Hughes, 35, was shot multiple times, as reported by AL.com.
Hughes was treated at the scene for multiple gunshot wounds and taken to DCH Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, according to WBRC. Capt. Jack Kennedy said the shooting occurred during a gathering or party around a bonfire, per the same Tuscaloosa News report.
Suspect Arrested Within Hours
After interviewing multiple witnesses and processing the scene for evidence, authorities obtained a murder warrant for 23-year-old Derrick Lamont Edwards Jr., per AL.com's reporting. WVTM 13 reported that he now faces one charge of murder with no bond, though WVTM 13 listed the charge without further detail on the investigation's progress.
Edwards was taken into custody within a few hours by U.S. Marshals and Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit investigators, the AL.com account notes. Reports differ slightly on the spelling of the suspect's first name — AL.com and WVTM 13 both reference Derrick Lamont Edwards Jr., while WBRC's report refers to him as Derick Lamont Edwards Jr.
Investigation Remains Active
The Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit has assumed the investigation, which remains ongoing, according to the Tuscaloosa News report. Anyone with information has been asked to contact the Violent Crimes Unit at 205-464-8690.
No further details on a motive or the relationship, if any, between Hughes and Edwards have been released as the investigation continues.
