From Tribune staff reports
HOOVER –A Home Depot employee was gunned down in the store parking lot as he walked to his vehicle early Saturday morning, Carol Robinson of al.com reported.
Hoover police captain Gregg Rector told Robinson that officers received the call of shots fired at 12:31 a.m. at the Home Depot on U.S. Highway 280 and found an adult male victim down in the parking lot suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
Rector said at least one other employee was nearby and witnessed the ambush. That person ran back into the store and called 911.
It appeared that the victim was targeted because no words were exchanged and there was no robbery attempt, Rector told Robinson.
The shooter escaped on foot and police spent the night investigating, according to the report.
“We hope to release the victim’s name at some point today and hopefully that will generate some useful information,” Rector told Robinson on Saturday morning. “Someone may be able to tell us who held a grudge against this man.”
Authorities later identified the victim as 25-year-old Xavier Beasley.
Anyone with information related to the homicide are asked to contact the Hoover police department at 205-822-5300.