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At least three people have been killed in an active shooter situation in Gardendale, Alabama. The alleged shooter has been identified as Kenneth Dion Lever, a 52-year-old white male with blonde hair who was wearing blue jeans and a camo t-shirt when he fled into the woods after fatally shooting two women and one man. Authorities are currently setting up a perimeter and searching for Lever in a joint effort between multiple departments. Police have asked Gardendale residents to remain in their homes for the time being.
What Happened?
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Multiple police agencies have descended on Gardendale as Lever fled into the woods after killing three – two women and one man. The incident took place in the 4100 block of Willow Bend Drive at the Peachtree Crossings mobile park home.
Police believe the shooting was a domestic related incident.
Gardendale police, Kimberly police, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office are on the scene, forming a perimeter as the search for Lever continues.
The Gardendale Police Department released the following statement around 9:30 A.M.:
“Gardendale Police Department is working an active shooter situation at Glenn Chapel Rd. and Willow Bend Dr. We ask that all citizens in this the Peach Tree community shelter in place. More information to follow.”
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Lever is a 52-year-old male with blonde hair, blue eyes and was wearing a camo t-shirt and blue jeans.He is 5’10, 220 pounds. “If you see this individual do not approach and call 9-1-1. He is considered armed and dangerous,” police announced.
A statement from the Gardendale Police Department requested that residents to take shelter in place and do not leave their homes.
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The wife or ex-wife of Lever claimed he was abusing her 11-year-old daughter.
“My daughter has a different disposition when she returns home,” the woman wrote. “She is very clingy to me and will not let me leave her.”
Lever has charges pending in Pennsylvania for sexual abuse with a minor, according to AL.com.
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Lever was charged by Lower Windsor Township Police, York County, Pa., on Sept. 28, 2015 and Oct. 13, 2015 in two separate sexual assault cases, according to records obtained by The York Daily Record. In both cases, he was charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, aggravated indecent assault of a child, indecent assault person less than 13 years of age, corruption of minors, and distribution of explicit sexual material of a minor.
Lever was placed in York County Prison on Oct. 12, 2015, on the first case on $100,000 and was bailed out the next day. He was again jailed on Oct. 15, and posted an additional $100,000 and released later the same day.
Both cases are scheduled for jury trial in York County Court of Common Please on September 11, according to online court documents.
About Gardendale, Alabama
Gardendale is a city in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States and a northern suburb of Birmingham. The population was 13,893 at the 2010 census.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.0 square miles. However, with the recent annexation of several thousand acres from the community of Mt. Olive and other unincorporated areas, the city now has an estimated total area of around 25.0 square miles . Gardendale is situated along one of the three major transportation corridors from the Midwest to the Gulf Coast. A tremendous volume of freight, via rail and truck, passes through or near Gardendale.
As of the 2010 census, the median income for a household in the city was $60,244, and the median income for a family was $79,044.
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