Crime
Violent Start to 2025 in Jefferson County Leaves Four Men Dead
The killings occurred between New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day in Birmingham, Graysville, and Bessemer, highlighting a troubling start to 2025 in the region.
Jefferson County, AL – The new year has begun with a wave of violence in Jefferson County, claiming the lives of four men in separate incidents, including the fatal shooting of a Domino’s delivery driver during an apparent robbery.
The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office has identified the victims as:
- Derek Marcus Burpo, 51, of Birmingham
- Elijah Mack Jr., 65, of Birmingham
- Jason Neal Duke, 40, of Graysville
- Ernest Paul Christion Jr., 68, of Birmingham
The killings occurred between New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day in Birmingham, Graysville, and Bessemer, highlighting a troubling start to 2025 in the region.
Derek Burpo: Domino’s Delivery Driver Killed in Apparent Robbery
At approximately 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Birmingham police responded to reports of shots fired in the 400 block of Roebuck Drive on the city’s east side. Upon arrival, officers found Burpo unresponsive outside his car near a house on a private road. His vehicle contained pizzas he was in the process of delivering.
Burpo was pronounced dead on the scene by Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service at 9:42 p.m.
“This is one of the most heartbreaking homicides we have witnessed,’’ said Officer Truman Fitzgerald. “A man out trying to make an honest living was killed so violently. They robbed a family of their loved one.”
Detectives are investigating whether the crime was premeditated or a crime of opportunity. Residents in the area reported hearing multiple gunshots, and police are actively seeking leads.
Jason Neal Duke: Domestic Dispute Turns Deadly
Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the 300 block of 1st Avenue SW in Graysville around 1:21 a.m. on Wednesday. They discovered Duke, 40, dead at the scene. Graysville Fire and Rescue pronounced him deceased at 1:51 a.m.
Investigators believe the shooting stemmed from a domestic dispute. A 40-year-old male suspect was questioned and released pending a review by the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office to determine if charges will be filed.
Ernest Paul Christion Jr.: Stabbed in Ensley
Birmingham’s West Precinct Officers were dispatched to a house in the 2500 block of 15th Street Ensley just after 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Upon entering, they found 68-year-old Christion unresponsive.
He was transported by Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service to UAB Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:50 p.m.
Police are interviewing witnesses to determine a motive, but no arrests have been made at this time.
Elijah Mack Jr.: Victim of Fatal Assault
Details surrounding Mack’s death have not yet been released. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances of his killing.
A Troubling Trend of Violence
The tragic deaths of these four men come as Jefferson County grapples with a violent start to 2025. Birmingham ended 2024 with a record-breaking 151 homicides, the highest number since 1933.
Law enforcement is urging the community to come forward with any information that could help solve these cases. Tips can be submitted to Birmingham homicide detectives at 205-254-1764 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
As the investigations continue, local officials and community leaders are calling for increased efforts to address the root causes of violence and prevent further loss of life.
BEND, Ore. — Rhoam Summer, 5, has been identified as the first reported victim of the deadly shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, where preliminary reports indicate that four victims, including three children and one adult, were killed. The 16-year-old suspect also died, bringing the reported death toll to five.
The shooting prompted a major law enforcement and emergency response Thursday afternoon, October 15, 2026, after Bend police issued an active-shooter alert at approximately 1:17 p.m. Authorities described a large police presence at the school and urged the public to avoid the area.
Information provided in preliminary reports indicated that the children killed were ages 5, 8 and 11. One teacher was also reported dead. Rhoam Summer, 5, was identified as the first victim publicly named in connection with the tragedy.
Authorities had not yet released the names of the other reported victims in the information available for this report.
According to preliminary information attributed to federal law enforcement, four victims died as a result of the shooting: three children and one adult. The suspected shooter, a 16-year-old Bend resident, was also reported dead.
This brings the reported total to five deaths, including the suspect.
Reports indicated that two additional people were transported for medical treatment in critical condition. They were described as a 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher.
The reported casualties have not all been independently confirmed through a complete official victim list. Further information from law enforcement and medical authorities is needed to establish the final number of injured people and the conditions of those receiving treatment.
Preliminary reports identified the suspected shooter as a 16-year-old resident of Bend. The teenager was reportedly armed with a shotgun.
Scanner traffic and early reports indicated that a bystander, described as a Good Samaritan and possibly the father of a student, shot and killed the suspect. Reports also described the bystander as someone legally carrying a concealed firearm.
However, the circumstances surrounding the suspect’s death, including the identity and role of the bystander, require confirmation from law enforcement. These details should not be considered established facts until officials release an authoritative account.
Authorities had reported that the suspect was deceased, but further verified information about the sequence of events was not available in the preliminary reports summarized here.
Bend police issued an alert at approximately 1:17 p.m. Thursday reporting an active shooter at Silver Rail Elementary School in southeast Bend.
The initial alert provided limited information but warned residents of a large police presence and urged them to stay away from the area. Police, fire crews and emergency medical personnel responded to the school.
The incident triggered urgent safety measures as authorities worked to secure the campus, assess casualties and coordinate the emergency response.
Approximately 10 minutes after the initial alert, police announced that a reunification site had been established at Journey Church, located at 61303 S Highway 97, near Goodwill and Dairy Queen.
Families of students were instructed to go to the designated location to reunite with their children.
Parents also received alerts indicating that nearby schools, including Caldera High School and Jewell Elementary, had been placed under lockdown as a precaution while law enforcement responded to the shooting.
The shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School has left families and the Bend community facing a devastating loss. The reported deaths of three children and one adult, along with the death of the teenage suspect, have made the incident one of the most serious school emergencies reported in the area.
Investigators are expected to establish the sequence of events, confirm the identities of the victims, determine how the shooting unfolded and clarify the circumstances surrounding the suspect’s death.