Robert Chandler: Alabama man who survived drive-by shooting fatally shot in same home 5 years later
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA: Robert Chandler who miraculously survived a drive-by shooting that targeted his home five years ago, met a tragic end within the very walls that had witnessed his previous brush with death.
The incident occurred on January 21 last year, when Chandler's life was abruptly cut short by a fatal gunshot inside his residence on Fairmont Way in the northern section of the city.
2 suspects arrested in connection to Robert Chandler's murder
Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service responded to the scene after Chandler was discovered by a concerned neighbor. Despite their efforts, the victim was pronounced dead, with autopsy results confirming the cause of death as a gunshot wound.
Recent developments in the case unveiled a grand jury indictment in Jefferson County, charging Tanarence Murphy, 28, and Aaron Elijah Bearden, 25, with capital murder for Chandler's death. Additionally, the duo faced two counts of robbery related to separate incidents in 2021, as reported by AL.com.
Robert Chandler's current fatality mirrors 2019 drive-by shooting
The tragedy echoed eerily similar events in April 2019 when Chandler narrowly escaped death during a drive-by shooting at the same residence. On that fateful night, bullets pierced the exterior of the house, claiming the life of Chandler's cousin, William "Billy" Morris, who was asleep on the couch.
Chandler vividly recounted the chaos, stating, “I jumped on the floor. I didn’t know where the bullets were coming from.” “I opened the bedroom door and told [another resident] to call 911. I smelled the shots, the gunpowder. When the police came it was dark. When we turned the lights on, that’s when we saw Billy. When somebody shooting like that, you’re confused and trying to get out of the way," he added.
Nevertheless, the circumstances surrounding the shooting and the motive behind it remained shrouded in mystery.
