A man connected to a series of deadly shootings in Birmingham, Alabama, has been charged in three more murder cases, including the tragic death of a firefighter in 2023.
Damien McDaniel, now 22, has been charged with capital murder for the killing of Birmingham firefighter Jordan Melton. Melton was tragically shot while working at Fire Station #9 in the Norwood community on July 12, 2023. Alongside Melton’s death, Sergeant Jamal Jones was also shot during the incident but survived, leading to an attempted murder charge for McDaniel.
On Tuesday, the Birmingham Police Department announced that McDaniel, who has been in custody for several months, has also been charged with intentional murder in the January 2024 death of Mia Nickson. Additionally, McDaniel faces a charge of capital murder in the April 2024 death of UPS driver Anthony Love, Jr., which police believe was a targeted murder-for-hire.
These new charges add to McDaniel’s already extensive criminal history. With the latest charges, he is now allegedly connected to 14 murders in the Birmingham area. Furthermore, he is accused of injuring at least 29 individuals in these violent incidents.
McDaniel is also charged with capital murder and 17 counts of first-degree assault for his alleged role in the deadly mass shooting on September 21, 2024. This shooting occurred outside a hookah lounge in the popular Five Points South area, killing four people and injuring at least 17 others. Police believe the shooting was carried out by paid individuals, targeting the area for unknown reasons.
In addition to the mass shooting, McDaniel is also suspected of being involved in three other deadly shootings that occurred on separate days in August and September 2024. These incidents have further linked McDaniel to the ongoing wave of violence in Birmingham.
Currently, McDaniel is being held at the Kilby Correctional Facility in Montgomery, Alabama. His probation was revoked due to his involvement in a 2019 shooting in the Fairfield area. This led to his arrest in October 2024 by Birmingham police, and he was initially placed in the Jefferson County Jail. However, after his probation revocation on December 12, 2024, McDaniel was transferred to the Alabama Department of Corrections.
The ongoing investigations and charges against McDaniel paint a grim picture of a man allegedly behind some of the most violent incidents to shake the Birmingham community in recent years. With multiple charges and connections to deadly events, McDaniel’s future in the criminal justice system seems uncertain as he faces prosecution for his alleged crimes.
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