Police: Drive-By Shooting in West Tuscaloosa Was Likely Retaliation for Wednesday Killing

Police in Tuscaloosa say an attempted drive-by shooting in West Tuscaloosa Thursday afternoon was likely retaliation for the killing of 24-year-old Jarvis Deandre Barnes in the same location 24 hours earlier.

Barnes was shot and killed by a 58-year-old man who lives in the 2700 block of Beech Street Wednesday afternoon. Police say the two men were arguing over payment for a automotive paint job the older man did for Barnes and that led to a fist fight and, ultimately, the killing.

The older man was not immediately charged with a crime and investigators opted instead to present evidence at a later date to a judge or grand jury and let them decide if the shooting was self-defense or homicide.

Now, police say, someone has tried to take justice into their own hands.

Captain Gary Hood, the commander of the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit, said that around 3:30 p.m. Thursday, a man and his son were standing in the yard at the same address where the shooting took place the previous day. A car that might have been a blue 2008 Toyota Camry drove by, and a man described as a light-skinned black male with a beard opened fire on them.

Neither the man nor his son were hurt in the attempted drive-by.

Hood said police recovered 15 shell casings from the area and found bullet holes in the front porch of the house as well as in a vehicle that was parked on the property.

Hood said police are reviewing video footage in the area and interview potential witnesses as the investigation continues.