A five-year-old boy was killed in a shooting incident at a home in Bessemer, Alabama, where he was getting a haircut.
The shooting, according to law enforcement, occurred around 10 a.m. on Sunday, January 7, 2024, in the 500 block of Seventh Avenue North.
Brandon Jamal Nation III, from Fairfield, Alabama, was taken by his mother to get a haircut. The young boy and his barber were on the front porch of the Bessemer home when the assailants approached.
Neighbors who witnessed the incident and recorded it on their doorbell cameras reported that a vehicle arrived at the house, and three individuals exited and began firing. Two of the shooters, they claim, appeared to be armed with automatic rifles based on the visuals and audio they captured. The third was reported to have a handgun. Kendrick Rondell O’Neal, 26, has been arrested, charged with capital murder, and held without bond.
Emergency services transported Brandon to Children’s of Alabama Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The boy’s barber, 25, the intended target, was also injured by gunfire. He was transported to a hospital and is listed in critical condition.
Bessemer Police Detective Justin Burmeister, in a statement, confirmed the incident and extended thoughts to the family. He said police know who the other assailants are and are looking for them.