A 22-year-old Alabama man has been charged with murder in a 2021 Easter Sunday shooting that killed one and injured five others.

The Birmingham Police Department reports detectives have obtained a warrant for an arrest in connection to the murder of Areyelle Yarbrough. Areyelle Yarbrough was shot and killed on Easter Sunday, 2021, at Patton Park at 1200 Sipsey Street.

The suspect has been identified as Jalynd Rayford, 22, of Birmingham, Alabama.

Just after 7 p.m. on April 4, 2012, Birmingham Police Officers responded to W.C. Patton Park after gunfire erupted. At the time of the shooting, there were hundreds of people gathered in the park. Upon arrival, officers discovered the victim, Areyelle Yarbrough, lying on the ground just outside the passenger door of her vehicle, wounded by gunfire. Yarbrough succumbed to her injuries on the scene.

Five other people were injured in the shooting. The surviving victims consists of one adult and four juveniles ranging from age five to seventeen years of age.  Two of the juveniles were transported to Children’s Hospital of Alabama by Birmingham Fire and Rescue. The additional victims were transported to local area hospitals by private vehicles. All five surviving victims’ conditions are listed as stable.

The preliminary investigation indicates the shooting stemmed from an altercation between two groups of males, which escalated to an exchange of gunfire in the crowded park. Evidence collected indicates over 30 rounds were fired. Detectives have obtained witness accounts; however, additional witnesses are encouraged to come forward.

On Friday, August 25, 2023, Birmingham Police Detectives presented information on the case to the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office. After an assessment of the information, detectives obtained a warrant for Murder.

On Thursday, September 7, 2023, the U.S. Marshal’s Service Southeast Regional Task Force along with the Georgia State Patrol and the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office arrested Jalynd Rayford at an apartment complex in Snellville, Georgia.

Jalynd Rayford is currently in the custody of the Gwinnett County Jail (GA) awaiting extradition to Alabama where he will be transported to the Jefferson County Jail with No Bond.

The Birmingham Police Department would like to thank our community members along with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners for their assistance in this investigation.