Three people were shot and killed at a Bessemer gas station over the Labor Day holiday weekend, allegedly by a 20-year-old suspect who was awaiting trial for another shooting death after being released on bond by Democrat Circuit Court Judge David Carpenter.
Raukeem Cunningham, of Lipscomb, has been charged with capital murder for the deaths of Christopher Eddins, Ronald Dixon, Jr. and Wesley Fowler. The shootings occurred shortly before midnight Friday at a Citgo in Bessemer.
Cunningham had already been charged with manslaughter two years ago after an alleged accidental shooting of a 15-year-old girl but was on a $30,000 bond. Court documents show that in 2023, Cunningham's bond was temporarily revoked and later reinstated after he was found in possession of a firearm and other paraphernalia.
Carpenter has since revoked Cunningham's previous bond for a second time and ruled that Cunningham is to be held without bond for the capital murder charges.
Carpenter has presided over Alabama's 10th Judicial Circuit, Place 5, in Jefferson County since 2013 and has an active presence on social media, where he openly shares his leftist political opinions. He's repeatedly touted the Biden administration's claims of lowering crime rates nationwide, while Jefferson County continues to have one of the highest rates in Alabama.
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