BIRMINGHAM, Alabama
Family members of two men shot to death in Birmingham in separate incidents just hours apart said they have no idea what led to their loved ones being killed.
Darius Frazier, 38, was found shot in the head about 9:45 p.m. Tuesday, lying next to a curb at the intersection of First Avenue North and 52nd Street.
John Inusa Dantata, 34, was discovered shot inside his rental car two hours later and pronounced dead. He was a banker, a husband and a father.
"It's sad because John was one of the good guys," said his sister, Laura Horton.
In the first incident, East Precinct officers headed to Woodlawn after someone called to report a person down in the roadway. They found Frazier wounded, and he was taken to UAB Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
His niece, Danielle Pettaway, said she had spoken to her uncle about 20 minutes before the slaying. "I was going to take him chicken and dressing," she said. "It hadn't been 25 minutes. I didn't get there f a s t enough."
Family members said they don't know where Frazier was going, but said it wasn't uncommon for him to be walking to the store or to his mother's house nearby.
"If you can't walk in your neighborhood, what does that say about your neighborhood?" Pettaway said.
His sister, Lisa Dawson, said Frazier lost one of his legs five years ago after he was struck by a car. She said he didn't bother anyone.
"He was a nice person," Dawson said. "We loved him very much. It's hard."
Frazier, family members said, was shot point-blank in the head.
"The lady at the hospital said that was a personal wound," Pettaway said. "It was up and close and in his face."
"It had to have been personal," Dawson said. "That's the killing part about it."
At 11:53 p.m., the Birmingham Police Department's ShotSpotter system alerted officers to gunfire in the 7700 block of Third Avenue South. Officers went to the location, but didn't find anything.
A short time later, police found a 2009 Kia Rio off the roadway in the 7600 block of Third Avenue South. Dantata was inside the car and suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken to UAB Hospital, where he also was pronounced dead.
Dantata's sister said the Nigeria native moved to Alabama about five years ago to be closer to her and other relatives. He worked at a bank in downtown Birmingham, and was married with a 3-year-old son.
Horton said she never expected something like this to happen.
"I am in shock, his wife is in shock," she said. "This is puzzling to us."
Dantata lived in the McCalla area. His sister said she had no idea why he was in the location where he was killed.
"He didn't run the streets," she said.
Horton said her brother was always trying to help others. She believes he had gotten called out to help someone in need.
"He wouldn't be out at that time of night for no reason," she said. "One of his close friends spoke to him at 8 p.m. and he didn't say anything about going anywhere."
Horton said her brother will be missed.
"Somebody took away a good man, and we can use all of the good people we can get in this world."
Birmingham homicide Sgt. Sam Noblitt said police had few leads in the two slayings. No arrests had been made.
Anyone with information should call police at 254-1764 or Crimestoppers at 254-7777.
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