Mobile police have released the names of the two people found dead in what investigators are calling a murder-suicide on Devander Drive last week.
According to the Mobile Police Department, 37-year-old Frederick Barnes shot and killed 37-year-old Jessica Tucker in a parked car in the 1200 block of Devander Drive on the evening of Tuesday, July 21. Officers responded to a call about a shooting at roughly 11:33 p.m. and found both dead — Barnes, police said, shot Tucker shortly before taking his own life just outside the vehicle.
A Relationship Behind the Violence
MPD spokesperson Miles Roderick said Monday morning that the two were known to each other and had been in a dating relationship at some point, though investigators were not certain whether that relationship was still active at the time of the shooting. The two had been living together and had children together, Roderick said.
The case is the latest reminder of how often deadly gun violence in Mobile unfolds inside intimate relationships rather than between strangers. Detectives treat shootings between current or former partners as potential domestic violence cases, a category that carries its own risks: abusive relationships that end — or appear to end — are among the most dangerous periods for victims, and separating households does not always end the danger.
Where Help Is Available
Advocates urge anyone in a relationship that feels unsafe — or anyone worried about a friend or family member — to reach out before violence escalates. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available around the clock at 1-800-799-7233, by texting START to 88788, and online at thehotline.org. Locally, the Penelope House family violence center in Mobile operates a 24-hour crisis line at 251-342-8994, offering shelter, safety planning and court advocacy for survivors and their children across Mobile County.
Police said the death investigation remains open, and the department urged anyone struggling after losing someone to violence to reach out for support. Anyone with information about the case was asked to call Mobile police at 251-208-7211.