20-year-old convicted in ambush killing of high school senior in Birmingham

A 20-year-old Birmingham man has been convicted of capital murder in the 2022 ambush shooting that claimed the life of a local high school senior and left another teenager wounded.

Guilty Verdict Returned

A Jefferson County jury reached a decision last week, finding Zacarious Isaiah Redwine guilty of capital murder in the death of 18-year-old Kamarian Morris and attempted murder regarding the injury of a second juvenile victim. The trial was presided over by Jefferson County Circuit Judge Michael Streety, with jurors delivering their verdict after approximately two hours of deliberation.

Prosecutors Isabella Colombo, Olivia Dinning, and Dianah Ellis handled the case, while defense attorneys Dain Stewart and Scott Brower represented Redwine. Since his 2023 arrest, Redwine has remained in the Jefferson County Jail without bond. He is scheduled to be sentenced this October.

Connection to Previous Tragedy

Investigators identified the deadly ambush—which occurred as the victims were leaving a recording studio—as retaliation for the shooting death of 12-year-old Audriana Pearson, who was killed in a drive-by incident at her home just days before the attack on Morris. Two individuals pleaded guilty to felony murder last year in connection to Pearson’s death and were sentenced to 30 years behind bars.

While authorities did not disclose the specific motive for targeting Morris, family members stated that he was singled out because he was the half-brother of one of the suspects involved in the Pearson case, despite Morris having no involvement in that tragedy.

Remembering Kamarian Morris

Morris, a student at Midfield High School, was fatally shot on Dec. 26, 2022. He was just five months shy of his graduation. His obituary remembered him as an energetic sports enthusiast and a competitive gamer who left a lasting impression on those he met. His obituary noted, "To know ‘Kam’ was truly to love him. He left an everlasting impression on your heart."

Ongoing Investigation

Redwine is among seven individuals charged in connection with the murder of Morris. Birmingham police announced the arrest of another suspect just last month. Because the remaining suspects were initially charged as juveniles, their names remain withheld from public court records, though they are now between 20 and 21 years of age and continue to be held without bond at the Jefferson County Jail.