Hoover police today announced an arrest and murder charge in the Sept. 5 shooting death of an employee of the Home Depot on U.S. 280 as he left work.
U.S. marshals on Friday arrested 23-year-old Kareem Dacar Gaymon of Fultondale, who was a co-worker of the victim, 25-year-old Xavier Beasley of Birmingham, when the shooting took place nearly two months ago, according to a press release from Hoover police.
Beasley was ambushed and shot multiple times as he left work about 12:30 a.m. on Sept. 5. Police today said Gaymon had left work two hours earlier than Beasley but returned and waited on him in the parking lot.
An eyewitness said the shooter ran away but no get-away vehicle was seen. The witness ran back into the store and called 911, but Beasley was pronounced dead on the scene by Hoover paramedics.
Police said they had been baffled by the case because Beasley did not appear to be involved in any nefarious activities, such as with gangs or drugs. But detectives received a significant break in the case on Wednesday that led to an arrest warrant being issued by the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office.
U.S. marshals on Friday arrested Gaymon at 3:30 p.m. as he arrived for work at his new job at the Sam’s Club on John Hawkins Parkway. He offered no resistance and was taken to the Hoover Jail, police said.
Gaymon is to be transferred today to the Shelby Countu Jail. He is charged with murder and being held on a $1 million bond.
Police are asking anyone with additional information about this case or recent actions of Gaymon to contact Hoover police Sgt. Keith Czeskleba at 205-739-6795.
Hoover police said several agencies and organizations provided crucial assistance, expertise and resources to help solve this case, including the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office, U.S. Marshal’s Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama, Gov. Robert Bentley’s Office and the Home Depot Corp.
“Most importantly, we ask that everyone continue to keep Mr. Beasley’s family and friends in their thoughts and prayers,” Hoover police said in their news release. “We hope this arrest brings them a small measure of comfort and closure.”