A September shooting that left one person dead and three others injured, including the suspect, was not a home invasion but an apparent dispute between at least two people who lived together in a vacant Birmingham apartment, police testified Wednesday.

Tyler Reed Sanders, 21, is charged with murder on September 2 killing a 49-year-old man Lafontae Dejarris Lenard.

He is also charged with two counts of attempted murder in the wounding of Tameka Williams and Sander’s uncle, Freddie Wilson, who authorities said remains alive more than two months after the fire.

Sanders appeared before Jefferson County District Judge William Bell for a preliminary hearing. When it was over, Bell felt there was enough evidence to send the cases to a Jefferson County grand jury for trial.

The case is being tried by Deputy Prosecutor Charissa Henrich. Sanders is represented by Sammie Shaw of the Jefferson County Public Defender’s Office.

Just before 11 p.m. that Monday, South Precinct officers were dispatched to a report of a burglary in progress. at the University Crossings apartments in the 200 block of Third Avenue SW

Police were en route when they received updated information that someone had been shot. Authorities initially described the incident as a possible home invasion.

Officers arrived to find Sanders shot outside the block. Seriously injured, he was taken to the UAB Hospital. After being released, he was booked into the Jefferson County Jail on September 10, where he remains in custody.

The police learned that there was another victim in the apartment. Lenard was found unresponsive in a bathroom and pronounced dead at the scene at 11:23 p.m.

Williams and Wilson were found injured and taken to UAB.

Birmingham Homicide Det. Mark Green was the only witness at Wednesday’s hearing.

He said Sanders, his uncle and Lenard all lived in the second-floor apartment, but said the apartment was not rented to anyone and should have been vacant.

When police arrived at the scene, a woman who lives in the apartment below told them that a man holding a shotgun — later identified as Sanders — approached the apartment and heard someone say, “You owe me money ”, followed by gunfire. fired.

Green said investigators were recovering 11 shotgun shells and five 9mm casings, which indicated there was an exchange of gunfire.

Sanders told authorities he was at the apartment earlier and his uncle — Wilson — threatened to kill him.

He said that on his way back to the apartment, he picked up a rifle that he and his uncle had bought together and that he was giving the rifle to Wilson.

Green said Sanders reported that his uncle started shooting as soon as he entered the apartment and that he returned fire.

Williams told police he arrived at the apartment about 20 minutes before the shooting and that Sanders came in “at 10,” which he said meant irritated.

Williams, authorities said, did not want to provide additional information, including who started the fight.

Another woman in the apartment, the detective said, was uncooperative with investigators.

Lenard, a friend of Williams, had also been staying in the apartment with Williams and Sanders.

Green testified that after the shooting, Sanders asked the officers if he could get his cell phone, which was charging in the apartment, and said, “I’m not a thief.”

Green testified that “a scared guy” took both guns and fled the scene after the shooting.

The detective said evidence indicated Lenard was the one who fired back at Sanders.

Shaw argued that there was not enough evidence against Sanders to proceed with the cases against his client.

“We have no evidence in this case that Mr. Sanders shot any of the victims,” ​​Shaw said. “There is no evidence that Mr. Sanders shot anyone.”

“We have no scientific evidence that any of the projectiles that hit anybody came from a gun that was attributed to Mr. Sanders,” Shaw said.

“No one saw what happened in this situation,” he said.

“The logical conclusion would be that someone thought Mr. Sanders had stolen something from them and when he re-entered that apartment, the altercation ensued and someone shot Mr. Sanders,” Shaw said. “And that he then defended himself.”

Henrich said testimony showed Sanders was angry, pulled out a gun and started shooting. She said the issue of self-defense should be considered during the trial, not at this stage of the court process.

Shaw then requested that Sanders be granted bail on the murder charge. There are already warrants on the attempted murder charges.

He said Sanders has an employment history and said that if he is released, he will live with his parents under whatever conditions the judge deems appropriate.

“He doesn’t have the means to run even if he wanted to,” Shaw said.

Henrich argued against the bond for Sanders. Another judge at an Aniah’s Law hearing for Sanders ordered Sanders held without bail, and the prosecutor asked to stay that way.

“I don’t think having a large bank account or not necessarily gives you the ability to leave the jurisdiction,” Henrich said. “The question is whether or not he would come back to court and whether or not he poses a danger to the community.”

Bell ordered Sanders held without bail.