Man opens fire at relative’s funeral, killing 1, after he was asked to leave, feds say
A man shot four people, killing one, at his relative’s funeral after family asked him to leave the service in central Alabama, federal prosecutors said.
Gerald Dyron Little, 42, of Montgomery, initially disrupted the funeral in Fort Deposit before leaving upon mourning family members’ request on June 26, 2021, according to prosecutors.
As graveside services were underway, Little returned, argued with family and opened fire on funeral attendees — fatally striking Jerry Gipson, the brother of the deceased — and left the scene littered with shell casings, according to court documents.
The funeral was held for Little’s step-uncle, James Gipson, AL.com reported.
Little violated federal law by possessing a gun and ammunition due to a prior, unrelated felony conviction, prosecutors said.
As a result, he was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on Aug. 7 after he was accused of illegally possessing ammunition during the funeral shooting, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama announced in an Aug. 8 news release.
He still faces state charges in connection with the shooting, prosecutors said.
Federal public defenders representing Little declined a request for comment from McClatchy News on Aug. 8.
“This prohibited person showed total disregard for the law and committed an inhumane act of violence against an innocent group of grieving people,” Marcus Watson, the special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said in a statement.
The shooting
When Little returned to Gipson’s funeral service after leaving, he blasted music from his vehicle with a female passenger inside the car, a criminal complaint filed in court says.
This led to Jerry Gipson and other funeral attendees approaching Little, according to the criminal complaint, which says they asked him to turn down the music’s volume.
“Little refused, became very angry, and began to curse and threaten the funeral attenders,” the criminal complaint says.
The woman with Little pulled out a handgun, which prosecutors said Little seized and fired at the funeral attendees — fatally striking Jerry Gipson, who was pronounced dead at the cemetery, according to the criminal complaint.
The other individuals who were shot were taken to nearby hospitals for gunshot wounds, the complaint says.
Ultimately, investigators analyzed shell casings left at the scene linked them back to Little, prosecutors said.
After Little serves his sentence, he will serve three years of supervised release, according to prosecutors.
“It goes without saying that mourners should not have to fear gun violence when they gather to honor and remember a loved one,” U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Stewart said in a statement.
Fort Deposit is a town about 35 miles southwest of Montgomery.
This story was originally published August 8, 2023 at 5:27 PM with the headline "Man opens fire at relative’s funeral, killing 1, after he was asked to leave, feds say."
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