Family says mentally ill man killed in fight over car ‘was a harmless person’
Martez Dunner was shot outside his childhood home was reported missing hours after he was shot.
Ethan Parker 
The family of a 30-year-old man killed during a reported car break-in in Birmingham is speaking out, describing their loved one as a harmless, non-confrontational person who likely became disoriented.
Martez Dunner, who lived with schizophrenia and was mostly non-verbal, was shot shortly before 9 p.m. on Tuesday. The incident occurred outside a residence on Hyacinth Drive in the Roebuck area—a location that holds significance for the family, as it was their childhood home.
A Tragic Encounter
According to Birmingham authorities, the 33-year-old resident of the home contacted 911 after hearing noises in his front yard. Fearing a potential break-in, the resident confronted Martez and shot him one time during a struggle. Martez was transported to UAB Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9:54 p.m.
While the shooter was initially detained and held in the Birmingham City Jail for 48 hours, he has since been released. No charges have been filed at this time, and police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fatal encounter.
Searching for Answers
Martez’s family had been desperately searching for him after he wandered away from his mother’s home around 7 p.m. Tuesday—a habit he occasionally engaged in. By early Wednesday morning, the family had filed a missing person’s report, explicitly notifying law enforcement of his mental condition.
For two days, the family canvassed the area, called hospitals, and shared flyers across social media. It was only after a stranger reached out regarding their social media post that they learned about the homicide on Hyacinth Drive.
“He was a harmless person,” his sister, Marteria Dunner, said. “If somebody was trying to call to him or tell him, ‘Don’t do that,’ he wouldn’t understand what was going on.”
His brother, Antonio Dunner, expressed deep frustration over the outcome, noting that Martez was not a violent person and had lived his life under the protection of his family. “You shot with intent to kill my little brother, and my brother was a non-threat,” Antonio said. “He was just out there by himself with no family with him.”
