34°
Junior forward Darius Miles, 21, and Charles County's Michael Lynn Davis, 20, have both been charged with the capital murder of 23-year-old Jamea Harris near campus over the weekend, according to police in Tuscaloosa.
Shots rang out early on Sunday, Jan. 15 in The Strip off University Boulevard, not far from the Alabama campus, when a pair of gunmen fired into a vehicle in the area, police said, noting that the charges were upgraded to capital murder because of the circumstances of the shooting.
The shooting was reported in the 400 block of Grace Street near Bryant-Denny Stadium, home of the famed Crimson Tide football team. It happened hours after Miles was ruled out for the rest of the season with an injury.
“At this time, it appears that the only motive was a minor altercation that these individuals had with the victim as they were out on The Strip,” Tuscaloosa Police Capt. Jack Kennedy said at a conference following the shooting, adding that there was no previous relationship between anyone involved.
According to reports, Harris was a passenger in a vehicle approaching campus at approximately 1:45 a.m. on Sunday morning, when someone shot into the vehicle, while the driver returned fire.
One of the suspects was also injured. Neither the driver of the other vehicle, nor Harris nor Davis appear to have any affiliation with the University of Alabama, officials said.
Miles has since been removed from the University of Alabama's website and the team announced that he is no longer a part of the squad. Over the weekend, against the team's game against LSU, they had already announced he would likely miss the rest of the season with an ankle injury.
“The University of Alabama's utmost priority is the safety and well-being of the campus community,” University officials said in a statement. "We are grieved by the incident that occurred near campus last night and extend our deepest condolences to the victim's family and friends.”
In a video posted by AL.com, a remorseful Miles can be seen weeping as he was perp-walked to a police vehicle shouting “I swear ... I love you more than you can imagine” to someone who was off camera.
A separate Ring doorbell camera clip that has since been deleted, reportedly shows the moments before the shooting, where a woman can be heard shouting "oh my god!" before multiple gunshots rang out, sending bystanders running.
Miles has played in six games for the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide this year, with his last appearance on Dec. 20 when he tallied two points in an easy Alabama win over Jackson State. He had previously been away from the team for a "personal matter," according to coach Nate Oats.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Fairfax and receive free news updates.
