A 29-year-old man has been convicted of capital murder in the 2021 shooting death of another man in eastern Jefferson County.

A Jefferson County jury on Thursday found Tarrell Reishon McCarter-Craig guilty in the slaying of 31-year-old Andre Lawrence.

Jefferson County Circuit Judge Michael Streety sentenced McCarter-Craig to life in prison without the possibility of parole because the case was not death penalty eligible.

The case was prosecuted by Jefferson County deputy district attorneys Charissa Henrich, Blake Owens and Olivia Hall. McCarter-Craig was represented by attorney Erskine Mathis.

The trial began on Monday.

The shooting happened shortly before 5 p.m. Monday, April 12, 2021, in the 1100 block of Florentine Circle, which is Country Park Apartments.

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to the complex in eastern Jefferson County to investigate reports of shots being fired.

Moments later, deputies were alerted that the driver of a Cadillac sedan had flagged down Birmingham police on Wear Drive across the street from Huffman High School. The driver told authorities they had been the target of the shooting at Florentine Circle and a passenger – Lawrence – had been struck.

According to witnesses, Lawrence was at the apartment complex waiting for a ride when McCarter-Craig arrived at the location.

The victim and the suspect were acquainted through their relationships with a female, who was also on the scene.

When McCarter-Craig saw Lawrence, sheriff’s officials said, he pulled a gun and fired at the Cadillac as the victim and two other people tried to leave.

Lawrence was sitting in the back seat when he was shot. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

McCarter-Craig was initially charged with murder and released on bond. That bond was revoked when prosecutors said he walked out of Walmart without paying for more than $1,500 worth of items, for which he was charged with theft of property, a violation of his bond condition of not committing any new crimes.

A Jefferson County grand jury later indicted him on capital murder.