MOBILE, Ala. — A 29-year-old man is charged with murder in a fatal Navco Road shooting early Sunday, after a man was shot during a fight in the parking lot of Poinse’s Lounge, Mobile police said.
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.
The victim’s name has not been released. Police said they will identify him once his next of kin have been notified.
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 a man 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, a man shot the victim while that fight was underway.
Police said that man was Thomas. He was located a short time later and arrested without any reported resistance.
Suspect booked into Metro Jail on murder charge
Thomas was taken to Mobile County Metro Jail and booked on a murder charge. He is being held without bond, according to information released after his arrest.
Police have not said what led to the fight, how many people were involved or whether anyone else was hurt. They also have not said whether Thomas and the victim knew each other.
Thomas is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court. A murder charge is an accusation, and the case will move through the Mobile County court system, where prosecutors must prove the charge.
Police described the investigation as ongoing, and additional details could be released as detectives continue their work.
Because Thomas was found and arrested a short time after the shooting, the case moved quickly from the scene to the jail. Much of what happens next will depend on the evidence detectives gather from witnesses, video 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.
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 were filed at that time, though Blackwood said the case 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.
Victim’s identity pending notification of family
Mobile police said they are withholding the man’s name until his relatives have been told of his death. The name will be released after that notification is complete.
Details such as the victim’s age and hometown have also not been made public.
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
In the coming days, residents can expect police to release the victim’s name once his family has been notified. Thomas’ case will proceed through the Mobile County courts, beginning with his initial appearances.
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.