Tuscaloosa Murder Suspect Found Dead In Church Parking Lot

TUSCALOOSA, AL — A man wanted for capital murder in the Thursday night shooting death of his cousin at Springhill Apartments was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot would in a vehicle parked in a Tuscaloosa church parking lot

Investigators with the multi-agency Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit obtained a warrant to charge Darren Childers, 26, with capital murder in the Thursday night shooting death of Omar Childers, 19, who was found dead from a gunshot wound in a parked car in the apartment complex at 11:24 p.m. Thursday night.

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While investigators sought Darren Childers, they were unable to locate him during the early morning hours Friday. However, a woman called 911 at 3:06 p.m. Friday to report arriving at a church in the 7400 block of Sanders Ferry Road and finding a vehicle parked in the lot that didn’t move when she honked her horn.

Once on scene, officers discovered Darren Childers dead in the driver’s seat from what is believed to have been a self-inflicted gunshot would.

The Tuscaloosa Police Department said the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences will conduct a follow-up investigation to confirm the cause of death.

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