Crime
Jefferson County jail inmate Charlie Dunn dead after hang himself with bed sheet
JEFFERSON COUNTY, AL — A Jefferson County Jail inmate has died four days after he was discovered attempting to take his own life inside his jail cell.
Authorities have confirmed the death of 27-year-old Charlie James Dunn, a Bessemer resident, following a suicide attempt that involved hanging himself with a bed sheet.
According to the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office, Dunn was found unresponsive in his cell at approximately 3:20 p.m. on Friday, April 26, 2025.
Detention staff immediately intervened, and Dunn was transported to UAB Medical West for emergency treatment.
Despite medical efforts, Dunn was pronounced clinically dead at 3:52 p.m. on Wednesday, May 1. However, he was kept on life support temporarily, as he had elected to be an organ donor.
Jefferson County Circuit Judge David Carpenter ordered all pending criminal charges against Dunn formally dismissed on Thursday.
This legal action allowed his family to authorize organ donation and discontinue life-sustaining measures in accordance with his wishes.
Dunn had been booked into the Jefferson County Jail in Bessemer on April 14, facing charges of drug possession and receiving stolen property.
He was also under indictment in a separate case for attempted murder involving gunfire directed at a vehicle.
His death marks the second recent suicide-related fatality at the Bessemer jail facility, with both inmates succumbing to injuries at UAB Medical West following self-harm incidents.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has not commented on any potential policy reviews or procedural changes following these incidents. The matter remains under internal investigation.
Support resources are being made available to jail staff and inmates in the aftermath of the incident.
Crime
Angela Johnson and Her Son DeAngelo Johnson Killed After Shooting Inside Home in Chicago, Mother’s Boyfriend in Custody
CHICAGO — A 47-year-old mother and her 27-year-old son were fatally shot inside a residence in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood on the West Side late Thursday night, September 24, 2026, according to Chicago police.
The victims were identified as Angela Johnson, 47, and DeAngelo Johnson, 27. Police said a suspect, identified as Angela Johnson’s boyfriend, was taken into custody following the shooting.
The deadly shooting happened in the 800 block of North Parkside Avenue at approximately 10:43 p.m. Witnesses reported hearing gunshots coming from the basement of the residence and called 911.
When Chicago police officers arrived, they found the two victims suffering from gunshot wounds.
Angela Johnson was found in the basement with a gunshot wound to her chest. Police-radio traffic indicated she had been shot on the right side of her chest.
DeAngelo Johnson was found on the first floor with multiple gunshot wounds. Radio traffic indicated that he had suffered two gunshot wounds to his back.
Both victims were initially unresponsive and in critical condition. Emergency personnel performed CPR on DeAngelo Johnson before both victims were transported to Mount Sinai Hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
According to police-radio traffic, one victim was pronounced dead at approximately 11:18 p.m., while the male victim was pronounced dead around 11:21 p.m.
Investigators found extensive evidence inside the residence, including approximately 23 shell casings in a basement bedroom. Additional shell casings were reportedly recovered in other areas of the basement, including the stairway, main room and bedroom.
Officers initially recovered a firearm and shell casings from the basement bedroom. Police later located a second firearm inside the home, bringing the total number of recovered firearms to two.
Authorities have not publicly stated who owned the firearms or confirmed which weapon, if either, was used in the fatal shooting.
Police also reported that DeAngelo Johnson was wearing an empty holster when officers found him on the first floor. That discovery prompted an officer-safety alert as officers searched the residence for the missing firearm.
Chicago police said the shooting appeared to be domestic-related and identified the alleged offender as the mother’s boyfriend.
Radio traffic indicated that a person had been detained by approximately 11:26 p.m. The official police report later confirmed that the known offender was taken into custody.
Two witnesses were reportedly available to identify the alleged offender, and officers conducted a show-up identification procedure near the scene.
Police have not released additional information about potential charges against the suspect.
The investigation into the Chicago Austin neighborhood double shooting remains ongoing. Detectives are continuing to examine the circumstances that led to the shooting, the relationship between the people involved and the role of the two recovered firearms.
The deaths of Angela Johnson and DeAngelo Johnson are being investigated as a double homicide.