14-Year-Old Boy Fatally Shot in Birmingham; Investigation Ongoing

An investigation is underway after a 14-year-old was taken to UAB Hospital early Sunday morning with a fatal gunshot wound.

Shortly before 7 a.m., South Precinct officers responded to a report of a person arriving at UAB Hospital with a gunshot wound. Upon arrival, they discovered that a minivan had brought the 14-year-old victim to the emergency room, where he was pronounced dead.

Officer Truman Fitzgerald stated that the shooting possibly occurred in the Roebuck or Huffman areas. East Precinct officers coordinated with South Precinct officers, who were already at the hospital and identified a potential crime scene in the 9200 block of Parkway East, between a Walmart and a Wells Fargo near a small strip of businesses.

“We know that several juveniles were in this area,” Fitzgerald said. “We know there was a gun involved, and this 14-year-old victim ended up getting shot and killed. What we don’t know at this time is how this happened.”

Police have detained at least four juveniles, who will be questioned at police headquarters in the presence of their parents. The juveniles, all between the ages of 14 and 17, remained at the hospital after bringing the victim there.

“We’re going to try to uncover what happened,” Fitzgerald said. “We believe there were at least five to six juveniles in the vehicle.”

Detectives are working to determine whether the shooting was accidental or intentional. “Just about everyone who was involved is in custody, so we’re hoping to learn from them what happened,” Fitzgerald said. He added that it is unclear why all the juveniles were out and in that area at 6:30 a.m.

“Each of the juveniles knew one another,” Fitzgerald said. “The sad fact is this is another narrative we keep pointing out about people, places, and behavior, and now we’ve lost a 14-year-old kid due to gunfire.”

Fitzgerald commended community members for providing crucial information about the investigation. “We just want to commend our community members for that,” he said. “It’s been incredibly beneficial. It’s a major win.”