Police Arrest Suspect in Deadly Double Shooting in Tuscaloosa

A suspect has been arrested after police found "clear evidence" linking him to an early morning double shooting in Tuscaloosa that left one man dead and another injured.

In a Thursday afternoon press conference, Captain Jack Kennedy of the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit said officers were called to Brookhaven Apartments off James I. Harrison Parkway around 1:30 a.m. Thursday.

Two people had been shot, including 41-year-old Travaris Keandre Banks, who was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting.

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A second male victim was badly hurt, but was treated at a local hospital and Kennedy said he is expected to survive his injuries.

The suspect who opened fire on the two men fled the scene after the shooting, but Kennedy said the VCU worked all morning to process the scene and interview witnesses before finding "clear evidence" linking a suspect to the shooting.

Kennedy said with the help of US Marshals, police have located 37-year-old Aaron Reshad Smith. He was arrested and placed in the Tuscaloosa County Jail, and has been charged with murder and attempted murder.

Smith's mugshot was not immediately available at the time this report was published.

The alleged murder marks the 14th homicide the VCU has investigated in the county so far in 2024 - far outpacing years past, where they average around 20 cases each calendar year.

For updates as they become available, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.