MOBILE, Ala. — A 29-year-old man is charged with murder in a fatal Navco Road shooting early Sunday, Sept. 20, after a man was shot during a fight in the parking lot of Poinse’s Lounge, Mobile police said. Newly released 911 transcripts now show the frantic moments that followed, as callers begged for help and tried to keep the wounded man conscious.
Police identified the man in custody as DelJuan Thomas. Officers found him a short time after the shooting, and he was taken into custody without incident, according to the Mobile Police Department.
Police have identified the man who was killed as 43-year-old Brandon Shute. Thomas has pleaded not guilty, according to court documents, and is due back in court Oct. 13.
What police say happened in the Navco Road shooting
Officers were called to 1441 Navco Road, the address of Poinse’s Lounge, at about 2:08 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 20, after a report of a shooting.
When they arrived, officers found Shute suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound. He was taken to a local hospital, where he later died, police said.
Investigators said the shooting happened during a physical altercation involving several people in the lounge’s parking lot. According to police, Thomas and Shute got into an argument shortly after 2 a.m., and Thomas shot Shute while the fight was underway.
Thomas was located a short time later and arrested without any reported resistance.
911 calls capture chaos outside the bar
Transcripts of the 911 calls made that morning offer a moment-by-moment look at what callers saw and heard in the parking lot.
The first call came in at 2:08 a.m., with loud music audible in the background. The caller told the dispatcher they were at Poinse’s on Navco Road and that somebody had been shot.
Moments later, a second caller reached 911. “He’s shot, he’s down!” the woman told the operator. When the dispatcher asked, “Ma’am, is the shooter still there?” the caller said yes.
About 30 seconds after that, a third person called. That caller could be heard urging someone to stay alert and apply pressure to the wound: “Look at me! Look at me! You got to put pressure on it. Look at me!”
According to the transcripts, the dispatcher tried to get the caller’s attention while someone moaned in the background. The caller then said, “Yo! What we got? We need help here at 1441 Navco Road.”
Asked what was happening, the caller answered, “Somebody just got shot, pull up. Please pull up!” Another person could be heard saying, “Keep your eyes open.”
As the call went on, the caller told the dispatcher, “He’s bleeding. He can’t breathe. Hurry up!” Sirens could then be heard in the background as emergency crews arrived.
Court records detail argument, bond conditions
Court documents filed in the case offer more detail about what investigators say happened in the parking lot. According to those records, Thomas got into an argument with Shute, then got a gun and shot him in the abdomen. Shute was taken to the hospital, where he died.
Thomas was booked into Mobile County Metro Jail on the murder charge. He was initially reported to be held without bond. Accounts of the bond later differed: separate reporting Monday said a judge set it at $270,000, while court records listed $300,000. Jail records now show Thomas is being held on a $300,000 bond.
If he is able to post bond, court documents say he will be placed on house arrest, must wear an electronic monitor and is barred from having guns.
Not guilty plea and next court date
Court documents show Thomas has pleaded not guilty. His next court date is set for Oct. 13.
Police have not said how many people were involved in the fight or whether anyone else was hurt. They also have not said whether Thomas and Shute knew each other before that night.
Thomas is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court. A murder charge is an accusation, and prosecutors must prove the charge.
Police described the investigation as ongoing. Much of what happens next will depend on the evidence detectives gather from witnesses, video, the 911 recordings and the scene itself, and on how prosecutors evaluate that evidence.
How a murder case moves forward in Alabama
Under Alabama law, murder is a Class A felony, the most serious classification of felony short of capital murder. The state’s sentencing statute provides for a prison term of 10 to 99 years, or life, for a Class A felony.
State law also sets a higher floor when a firearm or other deadly weapon is used or attempted to be used in a Class A felony. In those cases, the minimum sentence is 20 years.
Felony cases in Mobile County are prosecuted by the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office. In a typical felony case in Alabama, a defendant makes an initial court appearance, may have a preliminary hearing and must be indicted by a grand jury before the case can proceed to trial in circuit court.
Those steps can take months, so it may be some time before the case reaches a trial date.
Second deadly shooting at the address in less than a year
Sunday’s shooting was not the first deadly incident at 1441 Navco Road in recent memory. Mobile police have noted that it was the second deadly shooting at the bar in less than a year.
On Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, shortly before 11 p.m., police responded to a shooting at a club at the same address that left one man dead and four other people injured. The business was identified at the time under several names, including Celebrity Lounge and Poinse’s Lounge.
In that case, 56-year-old Roderic Williams was found dead in the parking lot. Three men and a woman were taken to hospitals with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. The building and an unoccupied vehicle were also struck by gunfire.
Mobile police completed their investigation of the October 2025 shooting within days and forwarded their findings to the district attorney’s office. Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood said at the time that Williams had been the aggressor, that Williams “was causing a disturbance and then pulled a weapon,” and that two people fired during the exchange.
“Self-defense is not a crime. We encourage self-defense,” Blackwood said then. No charges have been filed in that case, though Blackwood said it would be presented to a grand jury as a standard procedure.
Police have not suggested any connection between that shooting and the one early Sunday.
How to share information with investigators
Police are asking anyone who saw what happened in the parking lot, or who has other information that could help detectives, to come forward. Because several people were involved in the fight, investigators may be looking for witnesses who were at or near the lounge around 2 a.m. Sunday.
Ways to reach investigators include:
- Call: Mobile Police Department, 251-208-7211
- Text an anonymous tip: 844-251-0644
- Online: Submit a tip through the Mobile Police Department’s crime tip website
Anonymous tips allow people to share what they know without giving their name. Anyone with video from phones, vehicles or nearby security cameras may be able to help detectives piece together the timeline.
What happens next
Thomas is scheduled to return to court Oct. 13. Court records will reflect future hearing dates, any change in his bond status and whether a grand jury returns an indictment.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
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