Birmingham Police Seek Public Assistance in Solving Shootings That Left 7 Dead: ‘Most Tragic Day in My Career’

Two separate shootings in Birmingham on Saturday left seven people dead and ten others wounded, marking the city's most violent day in recent memory.

"Having seven murdered in a day and ten injured is probably the most tragic day in my time with the Birmingham Police Department,’’ Police Chief Scott Thurmond said Sunday.

“There are too many families who have been devastated and destroyed because of gun violence in our city,’’ Thurmond said. “Everyone in this room, to be frank, is sick and tired of it, and it has to stop today.”

The police chief emphasized that both shootings were targeted incidents. He declined to comment on the motives, focusing instead on solving both crimes.

“These were not random shootings,’’ Thurmond said. “That should make it easier for information to become available to the BPD to bring resolve.”

Thurmond and Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin held a press conference Sunday afternoon, joined by leaders of the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, as well as Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway and Birmingham City Council Public Safety Chair LaTonya Tate.

Also in attendance were members of a hospital violence intervention team. UAB Hospital has programs to assist survivors of gun violence and try to prevent future conflict.

Thurmond said the violence on Saturday has devastated the community.

The first shooting happened shortly before 5:30 p.m. near the entrance to Echo Highlands Park on the city’s east side. Killed were Arkia “Kia” Berry, 28, her 5-year-old son, Landyn Brooks, and her boyfriend, 28-year-old Eric Ashley Jr.

The second deadly shooting, a drive-by, happened just after 11 p.m. at a private party at a north Birmingham social club. A shooter or shooters unleashed a flurry of bullets that killed two men and two women and injured ten others.

Those killed in that incident were Angela Weatherspoon, 56, of Center Point; Markeisha Gettings, 42, of Birmingham; Stevie McGhee, 39, of Birmingham; and Lerandus Anderson, 24, of Center Point.

Thurmond said the department has a strategy to address the violence, which includes deploying every detective in the department to focus on the two investigations.

“We know 100% there are people who know who is responsible, and what happened,’’ he said. “We need that information.”

“The challenge is how does law enforcement or government change the behavior of adults? How do you change the behavior of someone who uses a firearm to resolve all of their issues?" Thurmond said. “That’s very difficult. That’s the underlying issue.”

Thurmond and Woodfin said, as they have many times in the past, that police need the public to come forward. The mayor called it a public plea.

“The Birmingham Police Department’s investigation is better off with credible information that comes from the community,’’ Woodfin said.

“Let me define how swift justice works – we can move at a very high speed to solve these cases and bring justice to these families, but it moves faster if we get community buy-in, community support,’’ he said.

Councilwoman Tate did not speak at the press conference but released a statement Sunday:

“I am heartbroken this morning. Birmingham has experienced an appallingly violent 24 hours, and I, like many in our city, feel grief-stricken. We’ve said it too many times: these acts of violence are senseless. They must stop. We cannot become desensitized to this public health crisis. We all want--and envision--so much more for our city.”

“As Chair of Public Safety, I’ve also said this many times: we can’t police our way out of this. We need everyone’s help and commitment -- from our neighborhood leaders, our churches, our businesses, elected officials -- everyone has a part to play. We all have to work together to make the changes that we so desperately need in our communities.”

“The victims of these violent acts deserve swift justice. If you know anything that can help police, please be part of the effort to make a positive change in Birmingham; report what you know.”

“To all of those impacted by the violence that erupted in the last 24 hours, we mourn with you. We also stand with you in the belief that Birmingham deserves more, and we will continue to fight for that vision for our future.”

Thurmond thanked first responders for their work over the past 24 hours, including Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service, the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office, UAB Hospital, and Princeton Baptist Medical Center.

“When you have a large-scale shooting like we did, it’s very taxing,’’ Thurmond said.

He also had a message for the shooters.

“To those responsible for those heinous crimes, I want you to know that we’ll be coming for you full force, with every piece of law enforcement that we have,’’ he said. “We will be coming for you.”

“To the community, we hear you, we’re with you, we’re doing everything we can to bring justice to these families and to restore safety and peace to our communities,’’ he said. “We will not stop until that is achieved.”