Two men gunned down in back yard of Birmingham home now identified
Authorities have released the names of two men gunned down in the back yard of an Ensley home Saturday night.
Birmingham police on Sunday identified the victims as Lee Ross, 71, of Birmingham, and Daryl Jones, 62, of Gardendale.
The gunfire rang out about 11 p.m. in the 1700 block of 48th Street in Ensley.
Officer Truman Fitzgerald said the city’s gunfire detection system – Shot Spotter – alerted West Precinct officer to multiple shots fired. While en route, they were alerted to two people shot.
They arrived to find the men wounded outside a home. Both were rushed to UAB Hospital where they were pronounced dead.
“Both males were just outside enjoying the night when an unknown suspect opened fire on them,’’ Fitzgerald said.
At least 10 shots were fired. Investigators believe at least one of the victims was targeted.
Multiple family members were at the scene.
“Everybody’s emotional, just trying to figure out what’s going on,’’ Fitzgerald said. “Everybody’s trying to figure out why somebody would want to hurt these two men.”
No arrests have been made.
Ross and Jones are Birmingham’s 75th and 76th homicide victims this year. Of those, one was an officer-involved shooting by an outside law enforcement agency and six others have been ruled justifiable and therefore aren’t deemed criminal.
In all of Jefferson County, there have been 108 homicides including the 76 in Birmingham.
Anyone with information is asked to call Birmingham homicide detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.