Left inset: Stephen Morrow with his wife (Facebook). Right inset: Timothy Crawford (Sumiton Police Department). Background: The Walmart in Alabama where Stephen Morrow allegedly got into a verbal confrontation with Timothy Crawford, which cops say led to his shooting death (Google Maps).
What began as a routine shopping trip at an Alabama Walmart ended in deadly violence, after a father was fatally shot outside the store following a minor collision with a shopping cart, according to police and relatives.
Authorities say Stephen Morrow was killed in a parking lot near the Walmart in Sumiton after an encounter inside the store escalated. Family members and court records say the confrontation started when Morrow accidentally bumped a teenager with his cart, setting off a verbal dispute that allegedly involved 18-year-old Timothy Braden Crawford.
According to court documents cited by local ABC affiliate WBMA, Morrow called Sumiton police after the argument but continued shopping with his wife, Kayla Morrow. Investigators say Crawford was not detained at that point and later followed the couple outside.
Police say the confrontation resumed in a nearby parking lot, where Crawford allegedly shot Morrow. He then fled in his truck, according to investigators. The vehicle was later tracked to his parents’ home, where Crawford was arrested after his parents contacted police so he could surrender.
In a heartbreaking Facebook post, Kayla Morrow said her husband’s final words to her were, “Kayla, I’m dying and I love you.” She also wrote, “Every time I close my eyes all I can see is the scene happening.”
Sumiton police later announced that Crawford had been charged with murder. “Following the investigation, an arrest has been made and … Crawford has been charged with murder,” the department said in a statement posted to Facebook.
Authorities say Crawford tried to claim the shooting was self-defense after Stephen Morrow attempted to run him off the road with his vehicle. Video evidence contradicted the claim, and Crawford allegedly admitted to following Stephen Morrow after the Walmart shopping cart incident.
In court last week, Crawford’s defense lawyer said Stephen Morrow broke the passenger-side window of Crawford’s truck and tried to get inside. Crawford’s parents testified that he has dyslexia and is on the autism spectrum, which has left him lacking the mental maturity of most people his age, WBMA reports. Prosecutors said he was a danger to the community as they outlined the allegations against him.
Crawford was being held on a $250,000 bond in Walker County.
