Investigators say an argument inside a Tuscaloosa apartment preceded the gunfire that killed a 20-year-old woman and her teen sister.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A 19-year-old man is jailed without bond after two sisters were killed and a 17-year-old boy was wounded in a shooting around 11:30 p.m. Monday at the Woodlawn Manor apartments on First Avenue, authorities said.
Officials identified the older victim as 20-year-old Kaliyah Houston. The younger victim, her 16-year-old sister, was not publicly named because of her age. Investigators said the injured teen boy fled the apartment and sought help; he is expected to survive. The suspect, identified as Keshawn Jermichael Woods, was located by a U.S. Marshals task force within hours and booked into the Tuscaloosa County Jail on two counts of capital murder and one count of attempted murder. The killings deepen a year already marked by multiple homicide investigations in Tuscaloosa County and have drawn swift attention from local law enforcement.
Police and the multi-agency Violent Crimes Unit responded to 3820 First Avenue after reports of shots fired late Monday. Inside a unit at Woodlawn Manor, officers found Houston and her sister fatally wounded and the 17-year-old with a gunshot injury. Several very young children, including an infant, were inside the apartment but were not physically hurt, investigators said. Captain Jack Kennedy of the Violent Crimes Unit said witnesses described a dispute before the shooting. “An argument occurred during which a handgun was produced and fired,” Kennedy said, adding that the teenage boy managed to escape and get help as officers converged on the scene.
Investigators said witnesses identified Woods, 19, as the gunman and told police he had been staying in Houston’s apartment for several months. Officers and deputies broadcast an alert, and members of the U.S. Marshals Task Force found Woods a few hours later. He was taken into custody without incident, according to authorities. Detectives collected evidence inside the apartment and interviewed multiple people who were present at the time, including the surviving victim. Officials did not report any additional injuries. The Violent Crimes Unit said the younger victim’s name would be withheld because she is a minor. The wounded teen was listed in stable condition.
Records from the Violent Crimes Unit show the case unfolded at Woodlawn Manor, a residential complex east of downtown where police have previously responded to disturbance and gunfire calls. Monday’s shooting was among several fatal incidents investigated countywide this year. Kennedy said evidence points to a domestic setting rather than a random attack, noting that the adults and juveniles inside the apartment knew one another. Authorities did not describe the specific caliber of the weapon recovered or whether any firearm was seized at the time of the arrest. No officers were hurt during the response.
Woods is charged with two counts of capital murder and one count of attempted murder and is being held in the Tuscaloosa County Jail without bond. In Alabama, capital murder charges can be filed in cases involving multiple victims or killings that occur during certain other crimes. Prosecutors will review the case file and present it to a grand jury. Authorities did not immediately release a first court date. The Violent Crimes Unit said detectives will continue interviews, examine ballistic evidence and review apartment surveillance footage as available. Autopsies for the two victims will be conducted by the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences.
The initial 911 calls drew numerous police units and crime scene technicians to First Avenue, where yellow tape ringed part of the complex overnight into Tuesday morning. Neighbors reported hearing shouting before a series of shots. Parents carrying small children stepped onto breezeways as investigators moved in and out of the apartment. “It’s heartbreaking to see, especially with kids inside,” said a neighbor who asked not to be named because of safety concerns. Outside the entrance, patrol cars idled while officers spoke quietly with relatives who gathered near the parking lot.
As of Wednesday morning, the Violent Crimes Unit said the injured teen remained in stable condition and the suspect remained in custody. Officials said more information would be released as next-of-kin notifications and forensic work proceed. The next update is expected after prosecutors review the charges and the case is assigned a court date.
Author note: Last updated November 18, 2025.