2017 Birmingham homicides

This is a List of Birmingham homicides in 2017. It includes homicide cases occurring within the city limits during the calendar year. Note that a "homicide" refers to the cause of death as determined by a medical examiner, not to the commission of the crime of murder as charged by police and prosecutors.

23 homicides have been reported in the city as of March 6, putting the city on pace for 129 for the year. Based on the 2015 census estimate of 212,461 population, that would represent 60.7 homicides per 100,000 residents. Birmingham had 104 homicides in 2016 and a record low of 62 homicides in 2014. The recent record high was 141 in 1992. At this time in 2016 there had been 19 homicides reported.

The city has averaged 10.5 homicides per month, or one every 2.8 days. There were 7 incidents in January, 14 in February, and 2 so far in March. The longest stretch without a homicide was the 14 days between January 11 and 25. One violent death was reported on a Sunday, 3 on Mondays, 4 on Tuesdays, 5 on Wednesdays, 3 on Thursdays, 4 on Fridays and 3 on Saturdays.

Of the 23 reported homicides, 2 have been ruled justifiable by prosecutors, but in one of those two cases, murder charges were filed against an accomplice. Two other deaths in 2017 resulted from violent incidents that occurred in previous years. The police department therefore acknowledges 20 chargeable homicides, one of which was charged as manslaughter and the remaining 19 considered murders. Suspects have been identified in 11 cases, apprehended in 11, and charged in 7.

21 deaths so far have resulted from shootings, one was caused by stabbing, and one from unnamed causes. At least 13 incidents occurred on the streets, 7 inside homes, one at a business, and 2 at apartment complexes. Twelve were reported in the West Precinct, six in the East Precinct, 1 in the South Precinct and 4 in the North Precinct. Four deaths began as domestic arguments, one stemmed from abuse of a child, two resulted from ongoing grudges, one victim was killed by a stray bullet, two murders took place during attempted robberies, and the motive is unknown in 13 other cases. Twenty-one victims were male and two were female.

Listing by date

1. January 2: Christina Anderson, 30, of Hoover died from a gunshot wound suffered the previous evening while she was walking with another person on the 800 block of Center Street North in Smithfield. She was driven to Princeton Baptist Medical Center and later transferred to UAB Hospital where she died Monday morning. No arrest. (report)
2. January 3: Randale Lamar Oden, 34, a Bessemer resident previously charged with operating an illegal casino, was shot to death outside a unit at The Oaks Apartments on Earline Circle in the Spring Lake neighborhood. He had been fighting with an ex-girlfriend and followed her to the residence of an acquaintance of hers. Oden was killed in the resulting fight with the acquaintance. The shooter was taken into custody, but was not charged after officials determined the homicide was justifiable. (report)
3. January 11: Rashiem Hakiem Porter, 26, was shot to death during a fight in the parking lot of the Best Convenience Store on Pearson Avenue at 17th Place Southwest in Oakwood Place. Joshua Louis Cowans of Hueytown was arrested and charged with capital murder. (report)
4. January 25: Decarlos Jordan, 39, was shot to death as he left a friend's house on the 4900 block of Court I in Belview Heights. No arrest. (report)
5. January 29: The remains of Derek Washington, 23, missing since April 3, 2015, were found by a squirrel hunter in the vicinity of a vacant home on Wood Avenue in the Booker Heights community of unincorporated Jefferson County. The case was turned over to the Birmingham Police Department because they had investigated the missing person report and found evidence the homicide took place in the city. No arrest. (report)
6. January 31: Andreas Kashif Brown, 33, was killed by a stray bullet during a shootout in Gate City. He was found on the 7500 block of 64th Court South. Both shooters fled and no arrests have been made. (report)
7. January 31: Juzahris Quintez Webb, 17, was shot to death on the 3200 block of Cedar Avenue Southwest while walking home from Wenonah High School. Monsure Davis and ShaQuon Edwards were arrested after fleeing from the suspect vehicle, which was stolen. Davis, who had argued with Webb over a girl, is the suspected shooter and was charged with capital murder. Edwards was charged with first-degree theft. A third suspect, Dequerius Tyrell Fair, has also been charged with capital murder. A fourth suspect, a 15-year-old, has been arrested but not yet charged. (report)
8. February 2: Antwon Hawkins, 37, was shot to death on the 4100 block of 5th Court North in the Tom Brown Village housing project in North Avondale. No arrest. (report)
9. February 4: Curtis Lee Johnson, 48, died at St Vincent's East two days after being found with stab wounds at a friend's house on the 8000 block of 1st Avenue South in South East Lake. A woman he had been dating, Kewunci Tyrese Bailey, was arrested and charged with reckless manslaughter. (report)
10. February 4: Cassandra "San" Cherry, 55, was shot to death inside her home on the 600 block of Goldwire Place in South Titusville. Henry Gosha turned himself in to police later the same day. He was charged with capital murder because he broke into Cherry's apartment. (report)
11. February 7: Isaiah Johnson, 17, was shot to death in an alley behind LIV Parkside and collapsed on 2nd Avenue South between 17th and 18th Streets in the Five Points South neighborhood. The shooting took place during an attempted illegal gun trade and sale. After an investigation, it was determined that Johnson and Tavares Floyd had intended to rob the other party and that the shooting was justified as self defense. Because of his involvement in the robbery attempt, Floyd was charged with Johnson's murder. (report)
12. February 8: Justin Lamar Milliner, 27 was found shot to death, and two others wounded, in a unit of the El Morado Apartments at 1341 Princeton Avenue Southwest in Arlington-West End. No arrest. (report)
13. February 8: De Ijiroa Yasmon Brown, 31, was shot to death in an alley off of 30th Avenue North. No arrest (report)
14. February 9: Cordan Rahfeal Bonner, 33, died from a gunshot wound to the head suffered in the incident the previous day at the El Morado Apartments.
15. February 10: Lakota Barak Miller, 29, was found shot to death in an abandoned house on the 6800 block of 5th Terrace North in Wahouma. No arrest. (report)
16. February 10: Le'Darius Marquis Belser, 25, died at UAB Hospital from gunshot wounds suffered on January 29. He was found sitting in his car on the 400 block of 20th Street in Ensley. No arrest. (report)
17. February 13: Victor Dewayne Eaton, 41, died at UAB Hospital after being shot on the 400 block of Florida Avenue in Thomas while he was walking to a grocery store. No arrest. (report)
18. February 15: Tavares Smith, 36, was shot to death while driving on the 2100 block of Stouts Road in the Evergreen Bottoms section of the Evergreen neighborhood. His girlfriend was in the car and suffered minor injuries. Police are seeking a group of men with whom Smith had a long-running dispute. No arrest. (report)
19. February 20: Denzal Moorer, 22, was shot to death in his home on the 1800 block of 19th Avenue North in Evergreen. The shooter apparently fired into the house from outside. No arrest. (report)
20. February 21: Kevin Dewayne Hooten, 27, died in nursing care from injuries suffered in a September 2016 shooting at 5733 Sycamore Avenue in the Roosevelt neighborhood. He and his girlfriend had gone to retrieve her belongings from an ex-boyfriend's house. Two sons of the woman and her ex-boyfriend began arguing with them and one fired into the car, hitting Hooten in the head and arm. Hooten was treated at Princeton Baptist Medical Center and UAB Hospital before being released to nursing care. The shooter was arrested and charged with attempted murder at the time. Those charges are expected to be upgraded to capital murder. (report)
21. February 25: Willie Griffin, 42, was shot to death following an argument outside his home on the 4500 block of 9th Avenue North in the Morton Simpson Homes public housing community. April Brackett was taken into custody at the scene and later charged with murder. (report)
22. March 3: Willie Burrell, 34, was shot to death following a fight with a woman. He was found on the 2300 block of Cullman Avenue in Fairview. A female suspect was taken into custody, but has not been formally charged. (report)
23. March 3: Nassir Battle, 11, was found injured at a home on the 800 block of 80th Street South in South East Lake and later pronounced dead at Children's Hospital. An adult male was taken into custody at the house and held for a previous misdemeanor warrant pending further charges. (report)

Responses

Numerous city officials gathered at Wiggins Park on February 13 to announce a series of "community conversations" to engage with at-risk youth and identify factors that would help them to avoid violence and then to develop an action plan for the city and its partners. Council member Jay Roberson explained that, "It is my belief that every time a youth pulls a trigger, it's a cry for help. It's time we start listening to all those cries." In addition to supporting the efforts of positive role models in the community, Mayor William Bell also said that the city would try to work more closely with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to stem the flow of black market drugs and guns into the city.

See also

• List of homicides in 2017
• Birmingham homicides by year
• Crime in Birmingham

References

• Robinson, Carol (February 13, 2017) "Killings of 2 Birmingham teens were 'match that lit flame of discussion' on youth violence, city leaders say." The Birmingham News
• Kelly, Mark (February 14, 2017) "The Match That Lit the Flames?" Weld for Birmingham
• Wright, Barnett (February 16, 2017) "Murder in the magic city: How city leaders plan to deal with rising violence." The Birmingham Times
• Goodman, Joseph (February 21, 2017) "For a future Auburn linebacker, gun violence in Birmingham is a part of life." The Birmingham News