Man charged with 11 homicides — including two mass shootings in Birmingham — pleads not guilty
This photo released by the Birmingham Police Department, shows Damien McDaniel, 22, who is charged with capital murder in two separate quadruple homicides that took place in July and Sept., 2024.
An Alabama man charged with homicide in two separate mass shootings pleaded not guilty in state court on Wednesday.
Damien McDaniel, 22, is accused of killing 11 people between July and September of last year in Birmingham, Alabama — which would account for over 7% of all homicides in the city in 2024. McDaniel is also accused of wounding 29 others during that time period.
McDaniel’s lawyer John Robbins said that he hasn’t “seen a shred of evidence,” and he added that even if he had he would be barred from publicizing the details of the ongoing case.
“We’re putting together a very good team to handle the defense, and we want to make sure this process is fair and that we protect his rights,” Robbins told AL.com.
Eight of the 11 capital murder charges are related to two separate mass shootings in Birmingham in 2024. One shooting took place outside of a Birmingham nightclub in July and left four people dead and 10 others wounded. Another man, Hatarius Woods, 27, was also charged with capital murder in connection with the July mass shooting.
The other took place outside of a different Birmingham nightclub in September where four people were fatally shot and 17 others were injured. A spokesperson for the Birmingham police department said that there were “multiple shooters” in the September mass shooting, and that the investigation is ongoing.
Birmingham had three total mass shootings in 2024.
McDaniel is also accused of three separate fatal shootings that took place on three separate days in August and September — culminating in 11 total homicides.
There were 151 homicides in 2024, according to the Birmingham Police Department, the highest number of people killed since 1933, when there were 148 homicides.
“These individuals started back in July, and they did not stop from September,” Birmingham Police Department spokesperson Truman Fitzgerald said at a news conference in November where he announced McDaniel’s indictment on charges related to July’s mass shooting. “We often say on these crime scenes that we have a few select criminals that add to this crime and give Birmingham a bad name.”
Auburn fires coach Hugh Freeze following 12th loss in his last 15 SEC games
The 56-year-old Freeze failed to fix Auburn’s offensive issues in three years on the Plains, scoring 24 or fewer points in 17 of his 22 league games. He also ended up on the wrong end of too many close matchups, including twice this season thanks partly to questionable calls.
In a ‘disheartening’ era, the nation’s former top mining regulator speaks out
Joe Pizarchik, who led the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement from 2009 to 2017, says Alabama’s move in the wake of a fatal 2024 home explosion increases risks to residents living atop “gassy” coal mines.
‘It’s like feeling the arms of your creator just wrapped around you’: a visit to a special healing Shabbat
Members of Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham gathered recently for their traditional Friday Shabbat service. But this particular service was different, as could be seen by all the people dressed in their finest pink.
Space Command is coming to Huntsville. What might that mean for first-time homebuyers
While Huntsville has been a more affordable market than other growing cities, what’s it been like for those looking for their first home?
Colorado says relocation of Space Command to Alabama is ‘punishment’ for mail-in voting
The litigation announced by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser asks a federal judge to block the move as unconstitutional.
Breaking down Alabama’s CHOOSE Act
It’s been a year since Alabama legislators passed the CHOOSE Act allowing families to apply for state funds to use towards homeschool expenses and tuition for participating private schools. The Alabama Daily News’ education reporter Trisha Powell Crain has been diving into how the funds are being used. WBHM’s Andrew Gelderman sat down with her to talk about what we’re seeing so far.
