Juvenile Charged With Attempted Murder, Robbery in Tuscaloosa

A Tuesday morning shooting in West Tuscaloosa allegedly stemmed from a juvenile committing armed robbery, investigators said in an afternoon update.

Captain Marty Sellers, the co-commander of the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit, said officers were called to the 3300 Block of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard on reports of a shooting at around 9:40 a.m. Tuesday.

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When investigators arrived at the scene, they found a 38-year-old suffering from a gunshot wound that Sellers called not life-threatening. The victim told police he'd been robbed and shot.

The VCU took over the case and spoke to the witnesses as well as the victim before identifying a suspect and taking them into custody.

Sellers said the suspect is a juvenile, and Alabama law forbids police from releasing any identifying information about them.

The VCU investigation reportedly showed that the older victim gave the juvenile money at some point before the shooting, and the child came back and demanded more money.

Sellers said when the 38-year-old refused, the juvenile shot him and took more cash after he was wounded.

Sellers said the juvenile was charged with first-degree robbery and attempted murder. Although they were too young to be identified, Sellers said that due to the suspect's age and the severity of the crime, they were booked at the Tuscaloosa County Jail rather than the local Juvenile Detention Center, and they are being held without bond until a judge can hold a hearing and set a bond individually.

For more coverage of crime and court news in west Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.