A family gathering to mourn a loved one in Alabama turned into a deadly shooting, leaving two relatives dead and another injured, after an argument over alleged disrespect.
From Mourning to Murder: The Wake Tragedy
Police in Ensley, Alabama, report that a wake held on December 6 ended in gunfire just before 11.30pm. The family had spent the day mourning Ja'Oree Marquel Brown-Allen, who was shot and killed a week earlier in Fairfield.
Relatives were gathered inside an apartment at the Tuxedo Terrace complex in Ensley, eating after the funeral, when the violence erupted. According to detectives, Jasmine Allen, 35, fired 10 shots through the closed front door of the property.
When officers arrived, they found the door riddled with bullet holes. Inside the hallway, 76-year-old Carlton Rufus Allen and 43-year-old Sonny Arrington were discovered dead, both having been shot multiple times.
The Dispute and Deadly Aftermath
Investigators state the shooting followed a heated argument between Jasmine Allen and one of her sisters. The conflict centred on Allen allegedly being 'disrespectful' to their mother, Rory Dawson.
Witnesses told police that after the fight, Allen declared she was going to get her gun. Minutes later, the barrage of gunfire blasted through the apartment door. Surveillance footage from a neighbour's camera reportedly showed a woman in a black jacket and grey pants approaching the door moments before the shooting.
Allen is also charged with the attempted murder of her sister, Jasmine Ross, who survived a gunshot wound to the leg.
Arrest and Legal Proceedings
Detectives said Allen fled the scene in a burgundy van. By zooming in on the licence plate from surveillance footage, officers traced her to a home in Bessemer, where she was arrested within two hours of the shooting.
A search uncovered grey pants and a black jacket matching the suspect on camera, as well as 9mm ammunition consistent with shell casings found at the scene. The firearm itself has not been recovered.
During a preliminary hearing, Deputy District Attorney Nick Taggart argued the act was intentional, stating, 'She shot 10 rounds directly in front of the door, intentionally trying to kill the person or people behind it.' Allen's attorney, Bret Gray, countered that the act was reckless and did not meet Alabama's threshold for capital murder.
Jefferson County District Judge William Bell has sent the case to a grand jury for indictment consideration and ordered Allen held without bond.
Sonny Arrington, a father of seven, is survived by his wife, Candace, their two daughters and five sons. A GoFundMe has been established to assist his family with expenses.
