Man Charged with Capital Murder After Deadly Christmas Shooting

Police in Greene County have charged a West Alabama man with capital murder after he reportedly shot another man to death on the evening of Christmas Day.

According to a report from the Greene County Democrat, the shooting took place in the Branch Heights community of Eutaw, Alabama. The victim was 21-year-old Jaylen Carter, and investigators have arrested 28-year-old Brandon Powell for the killing.

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Tommy Johnson, chief of police in Eutaw, said investigators believe Powell lost a 9-millimeter handgun during a fight at a club and that the younger man, Carter, found it and kept it.

On Christmas night, the two were arguing about the gun when Powell allegedly shot Carter multiple times and killed him.

The Democrat said the death marks the first and only homicide in Eutaw in 2023. According to the paper, two of the suspect's relatives work at Eutaw City Hall and received threats in the wake of the shooting - Chief Johnson warned that such threats are illegal and City Hall was shut down for a period Wednesday morning while local police investigated the threats.

For more coverage of crime in West Alabama as it develops, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.