An Alabama man is now accused of committing 14 murders in as many months as law enforcement continues to investigate links to other potential crimes.
Damien McDaniel's crime spree stretches from July 2023 until September 2024. Since his arrest police have continued to add charges related to firearms deaths throughout the Birmingham area, many of the seemingly random attacks.
McDaniel was convicted and sentenced in April 2023 for a 2019 shooting in Fairfield, Alabama, WBRC reported. In that case, McDaniel admitted to shooting into a car with two people inside. No one died in the incident, and McDaniel was sentenced to a 15-year split sentence—serving two years in prison and receiving three years probation, the station reported.
With time already served, McDaniel was free in 2024. Once free, police say he embarked on a 14-month killing spree that terrorized the Birmingham area.
This week, McDaniel was charged with three additional murders, bringing the total he is accused of committing to 14. The charges this week include the murder of Birmingham firefighter Jordan Melton, which authorities now peg as the start of the killings, WVTM-13 reported.
The shooting happened in July 2023 at the city's Station 9 firehouse when a man, now believed to be McDaniel walked into the station through the open garage doors and shot Melton and fellow firefighter Jamal Jones. Jones survived the shooting, the station reported.
Police have also now charged McDaniel in the January 2024 murder of 21-year-old Mia Nickson. Nickson was found shot to death outside of her home in the driveway, CBS-42 reported.
The third new murder charge for McDaniel relates to the April 2024 killing of 44-year-old Anthony Lamar Love Jr., a UPS worker. Love had clocked out for the day and was walking to his car when McDaniel allegedly shot him, according to CBS.
"We're walking down every lead," authorities told AL.com, noting it was possible that their might be still more victims.
After the Love killing, police believe McDaniel committed a mass shooting at Trendsetters Lounge in July 2024. In that shooting, four people were killed and 10 injured. Police said that the shooting happened after an altercation inside the club, CBS-42 reported.
Police have also accused McDaniel of a drive-by mass shooting in September 2024 at Hush Lounge. In that shooting, four more people were killed and another 17 injured, according to CBS-42.
Originally published on Latin Times
