Birmingham, AL 12/16/2016
At about 11:00 pm on December 7, 2016 deputies were called to a convenience store in the area of Dartmouth Avenue and Highway 150 in Bessemer to investigate a reported shooting.
They arrived to find an adult man and his adult girlfriend suffering from gunshot wounds. Both were transported to area hospitals. The girl, identified as 18 year old Ashlynn Sparks of McCalla, died at the hospital as a result of her injuries.
Deputies learned that the shooting had taken place on Circle Drive in Lipscomb. Lipscomb Police were a called and the investigation was turned over to them. They requested assistance from the Sheriff’s Office to process the scene and collect evidence.
The boyfriend survived the shooting with non-life threatening injuries. He told investigators that some men he did not know had attempted to rob them at the location. The suspects fired shots into the car as he tried to escape striking both him and his girlfriend.
On December 13, 2016 Lipscomb Police asked for assistance with the investigation. Sheriff’s detectives began talking to potential witnesses and reviewing the evidence in the case. A suspect was developed from information provided.
On December 17, 2016, 20-year-old Anthony Dewayne Smith of Fairfield was arrested and charged with Capital Murder in this case. He remains in the Jefferson County Jail with no bond.
The investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are expected.