MOBILE, AL – A Bay Minette man was sentenced to 87 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm that he used to shoot his domestic partner.
According to court documents, Quadarius Demetrous Russell, 25, was previously convicted of a felony offense in Florida in 2022 and a misdemeanor domestic-violence offense in Alabama in 2021. Those convictions each rendered Russell’s possession of firearms illegal under federal law. On the morning of May 17, 2023, however, Russell illegally possessed and used a .45 caliber pistol to shoot his domestic partner in the chest during a violent confrontation at an apartment complex in Bay Minette. Following the shooting, Russell transported the victim to a hospital, where the victim received life saving treatment.
Russell initially lied to police about the nature of the victim’s gunshot wound, claiming that the victim had been shot during a drive-by shooting in Atmore. Later, on May 19, 2023, Russell admitted that he had accidentally shot the victim during the confrontation. Russell further admitted that he knew he was “not supposed to be around guns” due to his prior convictions. He allowed officers to retrieve the pistol from his apartment. A forensic expert at the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia located blood on the pistol, as well as Russell’s DNA on its grip, trigger, remaining textured areas, and the base of the pistol’s magazine.
In addition to the 87-month prison sentence, Chief United States District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock ordered Russell to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will receive mental health evaluation and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Chief Judge Beaverstock ordered Russell to pay $100 in special assessments and $4,140.52 in victim restitution.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bay Minette Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.