BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) -- Birmingham police continue to investigate the shooting death of 51-year-old Derek Burpo that occurred shortly before 9 p.m. on New Year’s Day.
There have been no arrests in the case, and Birmingham police believe the victim was making a pizza delivery when he was shot in the 400 Block of Roebuck Drive.
Officer Truman Fitzgerald said investigators are still trying to determine if robbery was the motive.
After talking with the owner of the Domino’s Pizza franchise that services the Roebuck area, CBS 42 News has learned that Burpo did not have a Domino’s Pizza delivery hat affixed to his vehicle.
We sat down with the victim’s cousin Daphne Ballard on Friday to learn more about Derek Burpo, who family members had fondly nicknamed “Dink”.
Ballard said Burpo had been taking care of his mother, who turned 82 on Friday, and that the two had a special relationship.
“One day he just popped up and he gave her some beautiful roses and perfume he remembered her wearing years ago and he told her he said ‘I just want you to be better.’”
Ballard described how Burpo went out went out of his way to care for his mother who had recently experienced some health issues.
In the wake of his shooting death on Wednesday night, Ballard said she feels like she’s living a nightmare:
“I cannot believe it,” she said. “Who would want to do this to him?”
She said Burpo graduated from Alabama State University and had an MBA. When he was younger, she said he loved to play sports and exhibited a strong fashion sense.
The family said that after ASU, Burpo had started his own insurance firm. But when Covid -19 hit, he began working at Domino’s Pizza in order to care for his mother.
Franchisee Chris Daugherty said Burpo worked for him for about two years and was the model employee:
“We talk a lot about how good of an employee he was, but he was just such a good person, you know, he made an impression on all the people that he came in contact with,” Daugherty said.
He described Wednesday night’s shooting as a tragic loss.
“We’re all better for have[ing] known Derek,” Daugherty said.
Now Birmingham police are trying to piece together what unfolded Wednesday evening:
“With Derek being a pizza delivery driver being in the process of making a delivery we cannot rule out robbery; however, our detectives are still trying to uncover if in fact Derek was in fact robbed,” said Officer Truman Fitzgerald, the assistant Public Information Officer for BPD.
Daugherty said few drivers carry cash anymore, and those who do carry less than $20.
Anyone with information about Wednesday night’s shooting is asked to call BPD’s Homicide Unit at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
The family has established a Go Fund Me page.
Daphne Ballard said this is the second time the family has been impacted by gun violence. Burpo’s older brother, Darryl Burpo, was shot and killed in 2004.
She said she’s tired of the gun violence in Birmingham, and she hopes that city leaders and churches will come together to figure out a way to address the issue.