A 20-year-old man, Raukeem Cunningham, was charged with capital murder after allegedly killing three people at a Bessemer gas station over Labor Day weekend. Cunningham had been out on bond for a separate 2022 shooting death after being released by Democrat Circuit Court Judge David Carpenter.

Police reported that Cunningham, previously charged with manslaughter in the accidental shooting of a 15-year-old girl, was on a $30,000 bond. His bond had been temporarily revoked in 2023 after he was found in possession of a firearm but was reinstated shortly after. Judge Carpenter has since revoked Cunningham’s bond for a second time and ordered him held without bond following the triple murder charges.

Carpenter, who has presided over Alabama’s 10th Judicial Circuit since 2013, is known for his left-leaning political views, which he openly shares on social media, including his support for the Biden administration’s claims about reducing crime rates. Despite this, Jefferson County remains one of the highest crime areas in Alabama.