2017 Birmingham homicides

From Bhamwiki
Revision as of 14:35, 14 February 2017 by Dystopos (talk | contribs)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

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.

17 homicides have been reported in the city as of February 14, putting the city on pace for 138 for the year. Based on the 2015 census estimate of 212,461 population, that would represent 64.6 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 12 homicides reported.

The city has averaged 11.3 homicides per month, or one every 2.6 days. There were 7 incidents in January and 10 so far in February. The longest stretch without a homicide was the 14 days between January 11 and 25. One violent death was reported on a Sunday, 2 on Mondays, 4 on Tuesdays, 3 on Wednesdays, 3 on Thursdays, 2 on Fridays and 2 on Saturdays.

Of the 17 reported homicides, 1 has been ruled justifiable by prosecutors. The police department therefore acknowledges 16 chargeable homicides, one of which was charged as manslaughter and the remaining 15 considered murders. Suspects have been identified in 6 of those cases, apprehended in 6, and charged in 4.

16 deaths so far have resulted from shootings and one was caused by stabbing. At least 10 incidents occurred on the streets, 5 inside homes, one at a business, and one at an apartment complex. Ten were reported in the West Precinct, four in the East Precinct, one in the South Precinct and two in the North Precinct. One death began as a domestic argument, another from an ongoing grudge, one victim was killed by a stray bullet, two murders took place during attempted robberies, and the motive is unknown in 12 other cases. Fifteen 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 sale. No arrest. (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)

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

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
Retrieved from "http://bhamwiki.com/w/index.php?title=2017_Birmingham_homicides&oldid=134897"