‘There for his kids, there for his friends’: Father mourned after deadly shooting on I-59 in Birmingham

A Jefferson County man shot to death on Birmingham’s Interstate 59 is being remembered as a devoted father and friend.

Justin Snow, 38, had just left a friend’s wedding Saturday night when Birmingham police found him unresponsive inside his SUV after it struck the median. A bullet had drilled through the passenger’s side window, and Snow was pronounced dead on the scene at 8:04 p.m.

“It’s really just shock,’’ said Seth Alexander, one of Snow’s close friends. “I’m still waiting on him to call me.”

West Precinct officers were dispatched just past 8 p.m. Saturday to I-59 southbound near the Arkadelphia Road exit. A passerby called 911 to report the vehicle in the median.

Officer Truman Fitzgerald said the victim – now identified as Snow – was found in the driver’s seat suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. Investigators quickly located a bullet entry hole on the passenger’s side of the SUV.

“We do believe this driver was shot while driving the vehicle,’’ Fitzgerald said.

Authorities said Snow was traveling in a 2008 white Ford Edge. Detectives believe he was traveling from the downtown Birmingham area going southbound before the shooting.

Detectives are asking if anyone has any dashcam footage of their travel on I-59 South coming from the “downtown area” between 7:15 p.m. until 7:45 p.m. to please notify police as soon as possible.

Sgt. Rod Mauldin said investigators have not yet identified a motive, but said they have not ruled out road rage.

West Precinct officer were dispatched just past 8 p.m. Saturday to I-59 just past the Arkadelphia Road exit on a report of a person shot. The arrived to find a white SUV that had collided into the concrete median. (Carol Robinson)

West Precinct officer were dispatched just past 8 p.m. Saturday to I-59 just past the Arkadelphia Road exit on a report of a person shot. The arrived to find a white SUV that had collided into the concrete median. (Carol Robinson)

Alexander and Snow became friends just after Snow graduated from Jacksonville High School in Calhoun County. They, and two others, moved into an apartment together.

“That was the beginning of an almost 20-year friendship,’’ Alexander said. “We talked daily.”

Snow worked for many years as an English teacher, including a tenure in Colombia. His Facebook page indicates he was also active in disaster relief.

“He was just a really different kind of person,’’ Alexander said.

Debbie Looney, disaster program manager for the American Red Cross, said Snow had volunteered for the Red Cross.

“I really enjoyed working with him. He had a can do attitude and responded to several disaster action team calls,’’ Looney said. “Justin really wanted to serve others and to make their lives easier.”

In March of 2020, one of their last conversations was regarding an organization he helped form called “Quarantine Response Team of Birmingham.”

“He explained that the organization existed to serve the people of Birmingham who could not safely leave their home during the COVID-19 pandemic, by picking up medication, delivering groceries and meals, or just being available to have a conversation,” Looney said. “Justin was passionate about this organization and he really wanted to make a difference. I think this speaks to what type of person Justin was.”

Alexander said he and Snow connected over their desire to be fathers and bonded further when they actually became fathers. Snow had a daughter and son, both elementary school age.

On the day of Snow’s death, he went to his son’s noon soccer game, and then the wedding at 5 p.m. In between, he made Door Dash deliveries to help cover the cost of the suit he’d bought for the wedding.

“He was there for his kids, there for his friends,’’ Alexander said. “He was just one of those guys who did what needed to be done.”

“When I talked to him that day,’’ he said. “He was in good spirits and he said he’d call me when he got home.”

Snow had a great sense of humor and loved “Dad” jokes.

“He was my favorite person to tell jokes to,’’ Alexander said. “He would start laughing and couldn’t stop, and then you’d be laughing because he’s laughing. He loved to laugh.”

More than anything, Alexander said, Snow loved being a father.

“He absolutely doted on his children,’’ he said. “He was very devoted to the people he loved.”

“He would talk about the title of father as if it were like being a king,’’ Alexander said. “That’s why I refer to him as a king. His reign didn’t last long enough.”

Alexander said he wants to know who killed Snow, and why.

“I don’t see how you could know the man and do that,’’ he said. “Why would you take a father from his children?”

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