An 18-year-old Alabama man has been charged with murder after shooting a customer dead in front of the victim’s wife outside a Walmart store on June 3, 2026, following a dispute over an accidentally bumped shopping cart.
Stephen Justus Morrow, 46, was fatally shot in Sumiton, Alabama, on the evening of June 3 while his wife Kayla witnessed the shooting. Before he died, he spoke his final words to his wife, telling her, “Kayla, I’m dying and I love you,” according to a Facebook post she later shared describing her grief.
The incident began inside the store when Morrow accidentally bumped into a friend of Timothy Braden Crawford, 18, with a shopping cart, sparking a verbal altercation between the two men. According to testimony presented at a court hearing on June 9, 2026, the confrontation escalated rapidly.
Assistant Police Chief Scott Lawler told the court that Morrow called 911 from outside the store after the initial argument, with a store worker remaining alongside the Morrows until police could respond. Lawler testified that he reviewed surveillance footage from multiple sources and spoke with witnesses.
The Morrows continued shopping and attempted to leave through a different exit to avoid further confrontation, but Crawford followed them out of the store. Morrow called police a second time, telling officers Crawford might follow him home and expressing concern for his personal safety.
The situation moved to the parking lot of a nearby restaurant, where the fatal shooting occurred. According to court documents filed in the case, Crawford pursued Morrow after he left the store. According to the defense, Morrow confronted Crawford, shattered Crawford’s passenger-side truck window and put his hand through the opening before Crawford discharged his weapon.
Sumiton police responded to the shooting around 8:59 p.m. on the evening of June 3 at the retail center located at 560 Highway 78. Paramedics transported Morrow to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries. His body was later sent to the Department of Forensic Sciences in Huntsville.
At the crime scene, investigators recovered a shell casing, two projectiles, a bloody handprint, and a bloody towel as physical evidence. A 9mm handgun was found in Crawford’s vehicle in Dora.
During questioning, Crawford stated that Morrow had attempted to force him off the highway before the fatal incident. However, video evidence contradicted his account. Crawford subsequently acknowledged pursuing the Morrows as they departed the retail location, according to testimony presented in court.
At the June 9 hearing before Judge Henry Allred, Crawford’s father, Timothy Scott Crawford, testified on his son’s behalf. The elder Crawford stated that his son suffers from dyslexia and falls on the autism spectrum. He described his son as lacking the mental maturity of others his age.
Despite the murder charge, Judge Allred concluded that Timothy Crawford’s case did not satisfy the requirements for denying bail under Aniah’s Law, Alabama’s statute that allows judges to deny bail for defendants charged with certain violent felonies. Judge Allred set bond at $250,000 cash only and imposed strict conditions on Crawford’s release.
If Crawford posts bond, he will be subject to house arrest, prohibited from using social media, and barred from having any contact with friends who were with him on the night of the shooting. A preliminary hearing was held June 16.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Kayla Morrow shared her grief on social media. In a Facebook post, she wrote that she did not know how to feel or what to think. She described herself as completely numb, revealing she had been awake for almost 40 hours after the incident. She added that every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was the scene of the shooting happening again.
Sumiton police initially declined to comment on the case immediately after the shooting, later explaining they held off on releasing details to protect their investigation. Authorities confirmed they were gathering physical and video evidence and interviewing witnesses in the days following the incident. Police have stated there is no ongoing threat to the public.
The case has drawn attention to the tragic consequences of seemingly minor confrontations escalating into deadly violence. What began as an accidental bump with a shopping cart in a busy retail store ended with a husband and father dead in a parking lot, leaving behind a traumatized widow and a community searching for answers.
Crawford now faces murder charges in connection with Morrow’s death, with the case proceeding through the Walker County court system.