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By DANIEL LOCKE | Staff Writer

CALERA – The suspect accused of firing a weapon in the parking lot of the Calera Walmart on the morning of Thursday, June 19, has been identified and arrested.

Destanie Nicole Rogers, age 38 of Bessemer, was charged with discharging a gun into an occupied dwelling. Rogers was booked into the Shelby County Jail on Thursday, June 19, and released on Friday, June 20, after posting a $30,000 bond.

On June 19, at 11:30 a.m., officers responded to the scene and discovered a bullet hole the rear driver’s side door of the vehicle, a white 2022 Ford Edge.

Descriptions from the victim and witnesses, along with Walmart security footage, helped the Calera Police Department uncover the identity of the suspect. Rogers was then located and placed under arrest less than 20 minutes after the initial call went out to all units.

According to victim and witness reports, the suspect exited her vehicle and fired a gun into the victim’s car. Rogers allegedly switched vehicle tags after leaving the scene.

Calera Police Chief David Hyche believes the assistance the department received from the victim, witnesses and Walmart played a significant role in helping officers track down the suspect.

“I want to commend the witness for stepping forward and providing information,” Hyche said in a release on Thursday. “I also want to personally thank our dispatchers and officers who were short staffed and slammed with calls today. They immediately responded, passed on vital information and made the arrest. That’s how it’s done.”

Hyche also credited the department’s school resource officers who were present and able to provide reinforcement during the situation.

“I’m also grateful that we have the extra bodies from our SRO crew in the summer to help out when we are overwhelmed,” Hyche said.

Hyche shared that path of the bullet traveled close to an unoccupied car seat in the vehicle and remarked how the situation could have become even more serious if a child had occupied the seat at the time of the incident.

“Our country has serious problems when people get so angry over a parking spot that they pull out a gun and fire into an occupied vehicle,” Hyche said. “If a child had been in that car seat this could have been a far more tragic event.”

Further information will be released as it becomes available at Shelbycountyreporter.com.