A Tennessee father of seven was among two family members killed in a late-night domestic shooting inside a Birmingham apartment, authorities confirmed. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office identified the victims as Sonny Arrington, 43, of Clarksville, Tennessee, and Carlton Rufus Allen, 76, of Birmingham.
The fatal shooting occurred as relatives had gathered for a family barbecue following the funeral of a 29-year-old man who had been shot and killed in Fairfield one week earlier.
A 26-year-old woman, who is Arrington’s niece and Allen’s great-niece, has been arrested and is currently being held in the Birmingham City Jail pending formal charges for capital murder involving two or more victims, authorities said.
The suspect’s sister was also wounded in the shooting but is expected to survive. She was transported to UAB Hospital, where doctors determined her injuries were not life-threatening.
The gunfire erupted just before 11:30 p.m. Saturday at an apartment located in the Tuxedo Terrace complex off 20th Street in the Ensley neighborhood.
Officers from the West Precinct arrived to find Allen and Arrington deceased at the scene, along with the wounded sister.
Police confirmed that multiple family members were inside the apartment when the shooting occurred.
Investigators also reported that the number of shots fired was in the double digits.
According to Officer Truman Fitzgerald, preliminary evidence indicates that a family member fired gunshots into the apartment from outside the residence.
“We don’t yet know what sparked the argument,” Fitzgerald said. “What we do know is that this is one large, closely connected family.”
The Birmingham Police Department’s Special Enforcement Team (SET) was immediately deployed, and officers received a tip that the suspect may have been headed toward Bessemer.
Working alongside Bessemer police, authorities located and arrested the suspect at a residence in Bessemer approximately two hours after the shooting.
“A capital murder suspect being taken into custody within two hours of the shooting speaks to the focus and dedication of our officers and the strength of our partnership with our fellow law enforcement agencies,” Fitzgerald stated.
With the deaths of Allen and Arrington, Birmingham has now recorded its 78th and 79th homicides of the year.
Family members described Sonny Arrington as a devoted husband and father. A GoFundMe page established to assist his family described him as “a kind and compassionate person who deeply loved his family.” His death leaves behind his wife, Candace, and their seven children — two daughters and five sons — as they face the difficult realities of grief and financial uncertainty, especially with the holidays approaching.
Relatives confirmed that many family members had gathered at the apartment following the funeral of Ja’Oree Marquel Brown-Allen, whose death one week earlier had already left the family in mourning.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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