A beloved father-of-one was shot dead in front of his wife after accidentally striking a teenager with his shopping cart.

Stephen Justus 'Fro' Morrow, 46, was fatally gunned down at the Walmart shopping center in Sumiton, Alabama in front of his wife, Kayla, just before 9pm on June 3.

The couple had been shopping at the store when Stephen accidentally bumped into a teenager with a shopping cart, leading to a verbal altercation between him and 18-year-old Timothy Braden Crawford, investigators said at a hearing on Tuesday, according to WBMA.

Assistant Police Chief Scott Lawler said Stephen then called 911 from outside the store, and a Walmart employee stayed with the couple as they waited for police to arrive on the scene.

The Morrows then continued their shopping spree, and later left through a different exit - but police said Crawford followed them outside.

At that point, Morrow called 911 a second time, telling officers he did not want Crawford to know where he lived.

The situation then moved into a nearby parking lot, where Morrow was shot dead. At that point, about half an hour had passed between the initial confrontation inside the Walmart. 

By the time police arrived on the scene, Crawford's truck was no longer there. 

Officers instead recovered evidence from the scene, including two projectiles, a shell casing and a bloody handprint and a bloody towel, WBMA reports.

Meanwhile, Stephen was rushed to the University of Alabama Hospital in Birmingham, where he was pronounced dead - but not before telling his wife, 'Kayla, I'm dying and I love you,' Al.com reports. 

As the investigation into the shooting continued, officers were able to locate Crawford's truck at his family's home in Dora.

They then found a 9mm handgun inside the vehicle, Assistant Chief Lawler said.

He and other investigators told how Crawford's parents contacted police after he returned home so that their son could turn himself in.

When Crawford was then questioned by police with his parents present, the gunman allegedly claimed Morrow tried to run him off the road before the shooting - but Lawler said video evidence contradicted his assertion.

He then later allegedly admitted to police that he had followed the Morrows out of the Walmart.

Still, defense attorney Sam Bentley claimed in court on Tuesday that his client only shot Stephen Morrow after he broke the passenger-side window of Crawford's truck and tried to get inside.  

He then argued that Crawford was simply acting in self defense.

Judge Henry Allred also heard from Crawford's father, Timothy Scott Crawford, who testified that his son has dyslexia and is on the autism spectrum.

As he then described his son, Crawford's father said he believes the 18 year old lacks the mental maturity of others his age.

Despite his mental state, Crawford was previously issued a pistol permit, the court heard.

Allred ultimately ruled on Tuesday that Crawford is a danger to the community, but stopped short of holding him in prison ahead of his murder trial.

Instead, the judge said Crawford could be released if he posts a $250,000 cash-only bond, but only under strict conditions - including he be subjected to house arrest, not be permitted to use social media and have no contact with the friends who were with him the night of the shooting.

In a heartbreaking social media post the following day, Kayla Morrow admitted she was not doing well.

'[I don't know] how to feel; what to think; anything in general,' she wrote on Facebook. 'I'm completely numb. I've been awake for almost 40 hours.

'Every time I close my eyes, all I can see is the scene happening,' Kayla continued, calling it 'the hardest thing I have ever had to witness.' 

An online obituary notes Stephen 'loved to fish, he loved cars and especially loves his son, Elijah.'

Eric Nix also shared online how Stephen 'was such a loving dude to everyone.

'But every time I would run into him, which was often... he never failed to say something about his son. It was very clear how much his family meant to him and he was very, very proud of his son. 

'I don't try to make sense of any of this,' Nix continued. 'There's no point. Things like this happen to good people, they always have and probably always will.

'But we can all be grateful for our time with Fro,' he wrote. 'And I personally am proud of him. I'm proud of the dad he was. And I'm proud of the fact that he stood up for his loved ones.

'This area will remember you for a long time to come,' Nix then wrote to Stephen, himself. 'Rest in peace, Fro. Thank you for so many years of friendship.'

Community members are now raising money for Kayla and Eli.

'Kayla is a devoted mother who has always worked hard to provide a loving home for her son, Eli,' an online fundraiser reads. 'Recently, her world was turned upside down when her husband, Stephen, was tragically shot and passed away.

'Kayla is now left to navigate life as a single parent, facing not only overwhelming grief, but also the financial challenges that come with such a sudden loss.'

The fundraising page goes on to note that any money raised would help the family with funeral expenses, daily living costs and for Eli's future.

'Kayla has always been there for others and now she needs our help more than ever,' reads the fundraiser, which had reached over $13,000 as of Wednesday morning.