12-Year-Old Boy Injured in West Birmingham During Father's Argument That Escalates to Gunfire

A 12-year-old boy was injured in a west Birmingham home after being caught in crossfire during an argument.

The incident occurred shortly before 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. The boy, who is expected to recover, was found by West Precinct officers in the 1600 block of 49th Street Ensley, near the shooting site on the 4900 block of Avenue Q in the Central Park neighborhood.

Officer Truman Fitzgerald stated that Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service transported the boy to Children’s of Alabama with injuries that were not life-threatening. It was unclear whether the boy was shot or grazed, but he sustained an upper-body injury.

Investigators revealed that an argument between two men, one of whom is believed to be the boy's father, escalated into an exchange of gunfire. One man was inside the home while the other was outside, shooting into the residence, which had multiple occupants.

Shot Spotter detected five rounds fired, and several shell casings were found in the street. Fitzgerald noted that neither of the shooters was struck by gunfire, but a round may have penetrated the house and grazed or shot the 12-year-old.

"We know all the parties involved," Fitzgerald said. "It’s just a matter of our detectives gathering as many facts as possible and presenting this case to the district attorney’s office to see if anyone will be charged."