A suspect has been charged in the deadly Christmas Eve shooting of another man in Hoover.

Anthony Keith Russell, 29, is charged with murder in the killing of 35-year-old Brandon Montez McIlwain. Both men were from Birmingham.

Officers were dispatched on a 911 call at 10:59 p.m. Tuesday to an apartment in the 2200 block of Rime Village Drive.

First responders attempted life-saving measures on McIlwain. He was rushed to UAB Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Lt. Daniel Lowe said both men were visiting the resident of the apartment. The suspect and the victim began fighting of a handgun, with Russell eventually gaining control of the weapon.

The weapon discharged several times, with at least two rounds striking McIlwain.

Russell was taken into custody at the scene.

Detectives presented the evidence to the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office which issued the murder warrant, Lowe said.

Russell, who has been held in the Hoover City Jail, will be transferred to the Jefferson County Jail where he will be held without bond.

McIlwain’s death is the first non-traffic homicide to happen in Hoover since Oct.1, 2022.