Tuscaloosa Man Fatally Shoots Robbery Suspect, Accomplice Charged With Felony Murder

Bearing Arms reports that a 25-year-old man in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, shot and killed one of two men police say tried to rob him, and the surviving suspect now faces a felony murder charge.

Key points

• Where and when: Tuscaloosa police were called to Magnolia Apartments around 7:30 p.m. on a Saturday and found that a shooting victim had already been taken to a hospital.
• Suspects: Police say two 22-year-old men from Oxford tried to rob the 25-year-old. One was critically wounded in the gunfire and later died.
• Charges: The second suspect faces counts of first-degree robbery, attempted murder, felony murder and shooting into an occupied vehicle.
• Unknowns: Few details have been released, including whether the robbery was targeted, whether the man was in his vehicle, or what set off the gunfire. The intended victim was apparently not hurt.
• State law: The outlet notes that Alabama allows deadly force against someone committing or attempting robbery and has a "stand your ground" law with no general duty to retreat.

Quick take

Bearing Arms reads the charges as a sign that police see the two suspects as the aggressors and the 25-year-old as acting in self-defense. The outlet explains the felony murder count this way: under Alabama law, a person can be held responsible for a death that occurs while they commit or attempt certain felonies, first-degree robbery among them.

Read the full story at Bearing Arms.