Family of mentally ill man killed outside his Birmingham home looks to give him ‘memorial he deserves’

The family of Martez Dunner is seeking community support as they work to lay their brother to rest following a tragic shooting in east Birmingham. Dunner, a 30-year-old man who was schizophrenic and mostly non-verbal, died after being shot just before 9 p.m. on May 19.

A Heartbreaking Loss

The incident occurred outside a residence on Hyacinth Drive in the Roebuck area—a location that held significance as the family’s childhood home. According to police, officers were dispatched to the scene following reports of a suspicious person possibly attempting to break into a vehicle. By the time authorities arrived, Dunner had been shot. He was transported to UAB Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

"Our family is going through one of the hardest moments we’ve ever faced after the loss of my brother," said his sister, Reagan Slaughter, via a GoFundMe campaign established to cover funeral expenses. "This has been heartbreaking for all of us, and we are now trying to give him the proper funeral and memorial he deserves."

Searching for Answers

Martez’s family believes the tragedy was the result of a misunderstanding. His relatives describe him as a harmless, non-confrontational individual who would have been unable to grasp a hostile situation. "If somebody was trying to call to him or tell him, ‘Don’t do that,’ he wouldn’t understand what was going on," said his sister, Marteria Dunner.

Dunner had wandered away from the home he shared with his mother on Tuesday around 7 p.m., a habit the family says he developed as a way to cope with his condition. Despite his history of wandering, the family was alarmed by his extended absence, filing a missing person's report by 4 a.m. Wednesday. They did not learn of the shooting until a social media user recognized the family’s missing person flyer and shared an article about the homicide.

Birmingham police have since submitted the case to the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office to determine if criminal charges are warranted. For the family, the focus remains on honoring a man who they say was innocent of any wrongdoing. As his brother Antonio Dunner noted, "His mind was not going to go right off to fighting."

Those who wish to support the family can contribute to the memorial fund here.