Mother and Soon-to-be Kindergartener Among 7 Killed in Birmingham: Mayor Calls for ‘Swift Justice’

A mother and her 5-year-old son were among three people found shot to death in their vehicle in an east Birmingham neighborhood on Saturday.

Birmingham police on Sunday identified the victims as Landyn Brooks, 5, Arkia “Kia” Berry, 28, both of Center Point, and Eric Ashley Jr., 28, of Hoover. Berry was a hair stylist, and Landyn was set to begin kindergarten in the fall.

The victims were among seven people killed in the city in roughly six hours on Saturday.

The trio was killed shortly before 5:30 p.m. Then, shortly after 11 p.m., a drive-by shooting at a birthday party on the city’s northside left four people dead and nine others wounded.

“A lot of innocent people were shot and killed yesterday,’’ Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said in a social media post. “Many others wounded.”

“The Birmingham Police Department and our federal partners have one priority right now -- hunt these @#$% down who committed these heinous acts,’’ the mayor said. “We need swift justice for the victims and their families.”

Woodfin, as he has said in the past, stressed that the shooters deserve no safe harbor from their own family, friends, or strangers.

“Do not protect them,’’ he said.

Police officials also released a statement Sunday morning.

“The Birmingham Police Department stands with our community in this time of grief and loss as we have witnessed senseless acts of violence in the City of Birmingham,’’ the statement read. “Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and everyone affected.”

“In the face of such tragedy, we remain resolute in our mission to ensure justice for the victims,’’ the statement continued. “We are working tirelessly to apprehend those responsible and bring them to justice.”

City officials and law enforcement held a joint news conference Sunday. Police Chief Scott Thurmond said the two multiple homicide events comprised the “most tragic day in my time with the Birmingham Police Department.”

In the triple homicide, the shots rang out in the 1700 block of Indian Summer Drive on the city’s east side.

The shooting happened in or near the entrance to Echo Highlands Park in the Echo Highlands neighborhood, which is off Winewood Road.

Officer Truman Fitzgerald said police initially received a 911 call about a wreck. When officers arrived on the scene, they found a sedan in front of a house next to the park. It appeared to have jumped a curb and come to a rest in front of the home. Police said the car was riddled with bullet holes.

All three victims were found dead inside the vehicle.

“We believe some sort of interaction took place between the occupants of the victim’s vehicle and the suspects’ vehicle,’’ Fitzgerald said.

Witnesses told police they believe the shooter or shooters fled in another vehicle. The majority of the shell casings were in the parking area of the park.

“Anytime we have a homicide, it affects us,’’ Fitzgerald said. “But when you have a child, it affects you differently.”

“In this case, we have a small, school-aged child that got caught up in the violence that’s taking place in our city,’’ he said. “We have to ask the question, ‘When is enough going to be enough?’”

“We have to get to the bottom of this immediately,’’ he said.

The second deadly shooting happened just after 11 p.m.

A large crowd was gathered at a social club in the 3400 block of 27th Street for a private party when gunfire erupted just after 11 p.m. Saturday.

When officers arrived, they put out a max-emergency call for backup because of the large number of people gathered there. The scene was described as chaotic.

One man was found shot outside of the event venue. Two women were found shot inside the club. All three were pronounced dead on the scene.

Multiple victims began showing up at area hospitals with gunshot wounds, Mauldin said.

A fourth person was pronounced dead at UAB Hospital. Nine others were wounded with injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

None of the identities have been released.

Mauldin said the deadly shots were fired from a vehicle. It wasn’t immediately clear whether there was more than one shooter.

“We’re unsure what led to the incident and whether someone was targeted,’’ Mauldin said.

Numerous Birmingham police investigators responded to the scene, including those from other investigative units in addition to the homicide unit. Federal investigators also responded to assist.

At least 150 people were gathered outside the crime scene tape, including loved ones of those killed and wounded.

Mauldin said detectives hope to get more information from the surviving victims, as well as witnesses who were at the party or in the area.

“We know there was a lot of people that saw and heard various things,’’ Mauldin said.

Woodfin agreed.

“There is always someone who knows something,’’ the mayor said.

Saturday’s seven homicides raised the total number of slayings in Birmingham this year to 89. There had been 74 homicides as of July 13, 2023.