Young Man Charged With Murder After Fatal Shooting at Bonfire Party West of Tuscaloosa
A 35-year-old man was shot and killed at a bonfire party just outside the Tuscaloosa city limits Sunday night, and a 23-year-old has been arrested and charged with his murder.
Capt. Jack Kennedy, the commander of the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit, said the victim was Jerome DeWayne Hughes, who died after being shot multiple times in the 4300 block of Culver Road, in Tuscaloosa County west of the city.
Kennedy said a suspect, 23-year-old Derrick Lamont Edwards Jr., has been charged with murder and is being held without bond.
Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputies were sent to the Culver Road address around 10:20 p.m. Sunday, Kennedy said, and found the wounded man.
Paramedic deputies with the sheriff’s office and NorthStar paramedics treated Hughes at the scene for multiple gunshot wounds before he was taken to DCH Regional Medical Center, where he died.
The Violent Crimes Unit took over the investigation and determined the shooting happened at a gathering around a bonfire, Kennedy said.
Murder Suspect Arrested Within Hours
Investigators interviewed multiple witnesses and processed the scene before obtaining the murder warrant for Edwards.
He was found and arrested within a few hours by U.S. Marshals and VCU investigators, Kennedy said.
Still, Kennedy said the investigation remains open. Anyone who saw the shooting or has information is asked to call the Violent Crimes Unit at 205-464-8690.
By the count of the Thread staff, this is the 15th homicide the Violent Crimes Unit has investigated in Tuscaloosa County so far in 2026.
For more exclusive coverage of crime and public safety in West Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.
All Homicides Investigated in Tuscaloosa County in 2026
Gallery Credit: (Stephen Dethrage | Tuscaloosa Thread)
