A University of Alabama senior, her friend and a dog were found shot to death inside an Alabama home, and police say the suspected killer was later discovered hiding in an attic crawl space after a four-hour standoff.
Jazmine Alexis Bates, 22, and Jose Felix Alvarez-Duenas, 31, were identified as the victims of the July 6 shooting, according to police and multiple local reports.
Bates, a senior at the University of Alabama, had been visiting Alvarez-Duenas, who was pet-sitting at the home while the owner was away.
The homeowner became concerned after she was unable to reach Alvarez-Duenas and asked her landlord to contact police for a welfare check. She also reviewed footage from her doorbell camera and reportedly spotted someone on the back porch during the early morning hours.
Officers arrived at the home at about 1 p.m. and found Alvarez-Duenas’ body as soon as they opened the front door, police said.
Bates was discovered inside a bedroom closet. Both victims had been shot.
Officers also found the homeowner’s dog shot and killed inside the residence.
Investigators said Bates and Alvarez-Duenas knew both the homeowner and the suspected gunman, identified as 24-year-old De’Kendrick Crawford.
Police eventually tracked Crawford to a relative’s home in Northport, where he allegedly barricaded himself inside an apartment.
After a four-hour standoff, authorities found Crawford hiding in an attic crawl space inside the building. He eventually surrendered and was taken into custody.
Crawford has been charged with capital murder involving two or more victims and discharging a firearm into an occupied building, according to online jail records.
Authorities said Crawford was also wanted on an outstanding felony warrant connected to a separate shooting near the University of Alabama in May 2026.
Police allege Crawford had recently been fired from a contracting job on campus when he fired several shots from a moving vehicle, striking an occupied building near Coleman Coliseum.
A judge denied Crawford bond during his first court appearance on Wednesday, July 8. He remains held at the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Jail while awaiting his next court date.
As the criminal case moves forward, family, friends and coworkers are mourning the deaths of Bates and Alvarez-Duenas.
Buffalo Phil’s Wings in Tuscaloosa, where both victims worked, shared an emotional tribute on Facebook on July 8.
“It is with shattered hearts that we share the unimaginable loss of two beloved members of our work family,” the restaurant wrote.
The post said Bates and Alvarez-Duenas were “more than employees — they were family.”
Alvarez-Duenas was remembered as a devoted single father to three children.
“Nothing in this world made him prouder than being their dad,” the restaurant said.
Bates, who was originally from Chicago, was preparing to graduate from the University of Alabama and had come to Tuscaloosa determined to build a bright future.
“She had a bubbly personality that could light up a room, a beautiful heart, and a smile that made everyone around her feel welcome,” the restaurant wrote.
Bates’ family created a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses. A separate fundraiser was launched to support the three children Alvarez-Duenas left behind.
Crawford’s public defender did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Let me guess… De’Kendrick.. black POS who somehow has money for a gun but nothing else….