Man charged in drive-by shooting of Ala. man, 2-year-old

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) - Police in Alabama have charged a 19-year-old man and a juvenile in connection to the fatal shooting of a 2-year-old boy and a 25-year-old man.

Capt. Jack Kennedy with the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit said 19-year-old Tyrese Laquon Bell was arrested Monday and charged with two counts of murder in the shooting. He said those charges could be upgraded, WBRC reports.

A second suspect was arrested Monday night. The suspect is under the age of 18 and will be charged with capital murder.

Investigators say two people were shot Sunday while standing in a Tuscaloosa front yard. One victim was 25-year-old Marcus Winston Jr. The second victim was a 2-year-old boy, identified by his grandparents as Ashton Jones. Both victims died from their injuries.

Ashton Jones, 2, was killed in the shooting.(Source: Linda Jones)

It happened around 4:30 p.m. at 3028 19th Street. Investigators say a white car or sedan with three or four people inside drove by and fired several rounds, striking Winston and Jones. The two were unrelated.

Court records show the juvenile suspect is accused of firing the fatal shots in this case. According to those records, Bell told authorities he was driving a car, and the juvenile suspect shot and killed the two victims from the backseat.

The motive remains unclear.

Authorities said they have located all three people they considered “persons of interest.”

Winston and Jones became homicides No. 5 and No. 6 for the year in Tuscaloosa.

Bell’s bond for the two counts was set at $3 million. He was walked Monday night to the Tuscaloosa County Jail in a paper suit. Kennedy said the suspect’s clothes were collected as part of evidence in the investigation.

According to court records, Bell pleaded guilty in November 2021 to three counts of shooting into an occupied vehicle and building.

Court records say Bell, along with three other people, shot from their car into an unoccupied vehicle and also hit a nearby apartment. Bell led police on a chase and wrecked his car before being arrested, according to court documents.

Bell was sentenced to 10 months in jail but was immediately given probation because of time he’d already served before pleading guilty.

Anyone who witnessed the shooting is urged to contact the Violent Crimes Unit immediately at 205-464-8690, or the Tuscaloosa Police Department at 205-349-2121.