Man charged with capital murder in fatal shooting in Attalla
A man is charged with capital murder after a fatal shooting Friday night in Attalla, accused of having shot a man in the presence of the victim's 4-year-old child, according to Attalla Police Chief Dennis Walker.
Preston Spurling, 27, was taken into custody Friday night and has been charged with two counts of capital murder, Chief Investigator Doug Jordan said.
He is accused of firing from a vehicle and killing Nicholas McMahan, 30, of Gadsden; the other capital charge relates to the presence of McMahan's child in the car when the shooting occurred.
Jordan said Spurling and his fiancee had stopped Friday night at a convenience store in the 800 block of Cleveland Avenue to get snacks. The fiancee's child, fathered by McMahan, was in the back seat and is believed to have been asleep through the incident.
McMahan pulled in at the store, the investigator said. "I guess he (saw) the vehicle and went over to talk to them," Jordan said. "Some words were exchanged."
Jordan said the suspect pulled up a pistol and shot McMahan. "Nick went in the store, and collapsed," he said.
Spurling is being held without bond in the Etowah County Detention Center.
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Man charged with capital murder in Attalla slaying
