Christopher Eddins, Ronald Dixon Jr Obituary, Death – A suspect has been arrested in connection with a shooting at a Bessemer gas station that resulted in the deaths of three men. Raukeem Cunningham, 20, faces capital murder charges for the incident, as announced by Bessemer police on Monday.
The shooting occurred at the Citgo station located at 200 Fourth Avenue. All three victims were pronounced dead at the scene. The deceased have been identified as Christopher Eddins, 25, Ronald Dixon Jr., 20, and Wesley Fowler, 40.
Detective Justin Burmeister reported that at least two of the victims were together at the store when the shooting began, although the connection of the third victim is unclear. According to Burmeister, the shooting began in the parking lot and continued inside the store. It is believed that the suspects exited their vehicle and followed the victims into the store while continuing to shoot.
The incident involved multiple gunshots, much of which was captured by the store’s surveillance cameras. Burmeister noted that the shooting was not random, as at least one of the victims was specifically targeted. The motive behind the attack is still under investigation, and authorities believe there may be additional suspects involved.
The shooting is part of a troubling trend, as it was one of two incidents over the weekend involving multiple victims. Earlier, just after 10 p.m. on Sunday, three men were shot while sitting in a pickup truck in the parking lot of a strip of businesses on Ninth Avenue North. All three were taken to UAB Hospital, with two of them suffering life-threatening injuries. That case is also under investigation.
Cunningham is being held without bond. This shooting marks Bessemer’s first triple homicide in recent memory and adds to the tally of seven other homicides in the city this year. In total, Jefferson County has recorded 139 homicides in 2024, including the nine in Bessemer.
Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to contact Bessemer police at 205-481-4366, the tip line at 205-428-3541, or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.