Man shot dead on interstate during argument over ‘minor’ car crash, Alabama police say
A man was shot dead on an interstate off-ramp in Alabama when an argument over a car crash escalated, police said.
Police officers responded to the incident at about 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, where they found a man suffering from a gunshot wound, the Birmingham Police Department said in a Feb. 3 news release shared with McClatchy News.
Fire and rescue officials pronounced the man dead at the scene. He was identified as 55-year-old Willie Morgan by the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office.
According to investigators, Morgan and the suspected shooter — identified by police as 37-year-old Leon Ruffin — were in an argument over a “minor traffic accident” when Ruffin shot the victim and left.
About two hours later, police arrested Ruffin after identifying a vehicle involved in the shooting, according to the release.
Ruffin was charged with capital murder, and he is being held at the Jefferson County Jail without bond, police said.
Alabama is among the top states with high rates of firearm mortality, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2022, the state ranked fourth in the nation.
This story was originally published February 4, 2025 at 5:03 PM with the headline "Man shot dead on interstate during argument over ‘minor’ car crash, Alabama police say."
