Another student at a Birmingham high school died from gunshot wounds Saturday, becoming the latest minor to fall victim to the city's violent crime epidemic.
Last week, two students from Jackson-Olin High School were killed in separate incidents. Birmingham Police Department (BPD) chief Scott Thurmond indicated that the two were both involved in illegal activity when they were shot and killed.
According to Thurmond, one damaged a vehicle during the early morning hours on Wednesday, and the other was firing into a home when he was struck by return fire on March 26.
This follows a particularly violent year in Birmingham in 2022, which saw 144 homicides, several resulting from stray bullets fired in drive-by-shootings. In January, MoneyGeek listed Birmingham as one of the most unsafe cities in the United States.
The latest incident occurred late on Saturday afternoon when a 17-year-old student at Clay Chalkville High School sustained gunshot wounds following a shooting at the Magnolia Court Apartments in the Apple Valley neighborhood.
BPD officers arrived at the scene at 4:10 p.m. and found the individual lying outside a vehicle. The officers transported him to St. Vincent's East for medical care, but hospital staff later pronounced him dead.
BPD officials believe that the victim was sitting inside a vehicle when he was approached by an unknown suspect who fled the scene after shooting the teen boy.
At the time, the BPD does not have anyone in custody.
Teens were not the only ones killed in Birmingham over the last two weeks. Since March 20, Birmingham has experienced ten homicides in total.
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