Posted on 10/30/2006 7:56:29 AM PST by NerdDad
A UA freshman and Iraq war veteran was shot dead Friday night after a car accident after leaving the Ying Yang Twins' Homecoming concert, police said.
The death is Tuscaloosa's seventh homicide this month following a rash of shootings in recent weeks.
Conrad Hollis, 21, was a passenger in a maroon Nissan Pathfinder that rear-ended an unidentified vehicle carrying a man and a woman. The drivers agreed that there was no damage and drove on instead of reporting the accident, Tuscaloosa Police Chief Ken Swindle said.
When the vehicles reached the next red light, the man stepped out of the second car wielding a gun and ordered the Pathfinder's driver to follow him, Swindle said. The driver did not, but unbeknownst to those in the Pathfinder the second vehicle followed them back to the Pathfinder driver's home on Orange Street, near Hargrove Road and McFarland Boulevard.
Swindle said the second vehicle's driver honked twice when the Pathfinder pulled into its driveway, and Hollis exited the car and walked into the street. Approximately three shots followed, and the driver of the Pathfinder turned to find Hollis lying wounded in the middle of the street, Swindle said.
Hollis, a National Guardsman, had recently returned from service in Iraq.
The Tuscaloosa Metro Homicide Unit is looking for witnesses of the wreck that eventually led to Hollis' death, Swindle said. He described the driver of the second car as a black male.
Neighbors heard the shots, saw the body
Some residents in the neighborhood where Hollins died said they saw the aftermath of the shooting in the early morning hours Saturday.
One, a junior majoring in interior design who asked to remain anonymous, said the night was awful.
"Me and my roommate heard something," she said. "Three gunshots. Our first thought was that it was fireworks. But it was obvious it was a gun."
She went to her window, she said, to see what was happening.
"There were three guys huddled around something in the street," she said. "It was obvious that it was a body."
Horrified by the events of the evening, she said she and her roommate did not want to get involved. They stayed in their house, she said, but she could hear everything going on outside.
"You could sit in here and hear people crying," she said. "It was awful."
Another neighbor, an elderly woman, said she was awakened by the last of the three gunshots. She asked to remain anonymous because she feared for her safety, she said.
She said she counted 17 police cars that arrived soon after the shooting. When the victim's family arrived, she sheltered them in her house.
"I didn't know them [Hollis and his roommates] well," she said. "His mother came into my house - she was awful hurt. Mother, father and sister."
She said the body was not removed from the scene until about 3 or 4 a.m.
"They did not move that body," she said. "I wished it would go away."
All of Hollis' neighbors said they knew very little of Hollis. The elderly neighbor, however, said her interactions with him were always positive.
"I talked to him a little while before concert," she said. "Simply because his company parks their cars on the street.
"I called Conrad to move the car ... he moved it in three minutes. They came over to apologize to me. So far as I know, they were OK. Those boys were nice boys."
Friend remembers Hollis as generous, loyal
Casey Richardson, a junior majoring in real estate and business, met Hollis during high school in their hometown of Columbus, Miss. When Hollis returned from Iraq and came to the University, the two friends reunited.
"We had a couple of classes together, and we hung out a lot," Richardson said.
Richardson said he was shocked by Hollis' sudden death, especially because of the violent circumstances.
"It's one thing to have a friend die in a car accident," Richardson said. "But having a good friend shot and murdered is an entirely different thing."
He said Hollis was generous and one of the most loyal people he knew.
"That's the one guy you wanted next to you in an awkward situation," Richardson said. "He always knew how to handle himself."
He also said Hollis was an ambitious and motivated person.
"He would've done a lot of good in the world if he got the chance," he said.
Jacob Summers and Charity Scott contributed to this report.
Columbus MS resident murdered ping.
I suspect he was killed because someone felt disrespected.
Possible PGR mission?
PGR?
I'd like an opportunity to show my disrespect for the scum who killed this man.
Entry Team-in Iraq.In other words this young man risked his life in Iraq on a daily basis.He comes home and is murdered in cold blood by some punk because of a minor traffic incident.Only question i have is does Alabama have the death penalty?
Patriot Guard Riders. From their website http://patriotguard.org/
The Patriot Guard Riders is a diverse amalgamation of riders from across the nation. We have one thing in common besides motorcycles. We have an unwavering respect for those who risk their very lives for America’s freedom and security. If you share this respect, please join us.
Possumtown Ping
Tragic ending to a life honorable lived.
Rest in peace, hero.
The FBI should look into this as a hate crime.
The group was created in response to the wackjobs in Kansas who protest at the funerals of soldiers.
Mostly motorcyclists (tho I am not) and veterans (I am USAF) who stand between the protestors and endeavor to shield the families from them and show our respect for our fallen heroes.
We all agree that the FBI should indeed be looking into this and likewise doubt that they will. But please, let's be careful not sink to the killer's level by making this about race.
It was a senseless killing and the killer and victim were different races. However, there is no indication that the killing was racially motivated.
That being said, I agree that the FBI and all the race whores would be all over this if the roles were reversed.
According to a left-wing website that I won't link to, (What can I say, it was the first one that had the information I wanted) Alabama does have the death penalty. They have executed 34 people since 1976.
Only those who have been here would know that term. I came here with the USAF in 79. Moved away after I got out in 84 but returned in 90. Almost all my wife's family is here and I'm better off being geographically separated from most of mine.
I'm not seeing it on the PGR site as yet. I'll contact the Alabama RC with a link to the story.
"I suspect he was killed because someone felt disrespected."
I suspect you're right.
Oh yes, Alabama has the death penalty. An acquaintance of mine in a criminal defense attorney who specializes in capital murder cases. He's currently seven for seven - all his clients have received the death penalty. All his clients were guilty as sin.
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