Justice Delayed but Not Denied in Bessemer Shooting Case

A long-awaited arrest has been made in a tragic shooting that shook Bessemer last year. Timothy O'Neal Lacey Jr. , a 21-year-old man, is now facing murder charges for the death of James S. Bowen Jr. , who was also 21. This case has been under investigation since September 2024, and it's about time some progress is seen. The hunt for Lacey ended when the U. S. Marshal’s Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force caught him. He was taken into custody and put in Jefferson County Jail on a Friday morning. Meanwhile, another suspect, Cameron Dermell Smoot, a 21-year-old from Birmingham, was charged with conspiracy to commit murder. He was arrested earlier in May and got out on a $60, 000 bond. His case is now with a grand jury, waiting to see if he'll be indicted. The shooting happened in broad daylight, around 3:45 p. m. on a Monday, near the 5900 block of Greenwood Parkway. The exact spot was a parking lot of a business that hasn't been named yet. Bowen was rushed to UAB Hospital, but he didn't make it; he was pronounced dead at 4:42 p. m. The police are still tight-lipped about what led to this violent act. It's been months since the shooting, and the community has been waiting for answers. The police have not shared any details about why this happened. It's a tough situation, and everyone is hoping for justice to be served. The case is still unfolding, and more details might come out as it goes forward.