4 Things To Know About Birmingham’s Homicides So Far This Year
The city of Birmingham has recorded at least 64 homicides so far in 2021, according to data from the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office.
Last year, Birmingham hit a record for the highest number of homicides in 25 years. The city’s police chief, Patrick Smith, told WBHM that even with that record high, the city fared well in comparison to other areas across the country.
“It could have been a whole lot worse,” Smith said. “Certainly, we don’t want to see the loss of life anywhere at all. And I wish that we could do more. But we’re trying to work within the confines of what we have as a department.”
Now, local activists and residents are speaking up, especially after shootings at local parks or in cases where children have been shot. They want the city of Birmingham to invest some of the money it received from the federal American Rescue Plan into gun violence resources.
WBHM wanted to learn more about who has been killed in this gun violence. We took a deeper dive into the data from the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office. This is what we learned about the city’s homicides so far in 2021:
- The vast majority of people killed by homicide in Birmingham are Black.
- A firearm was used in roughly 94% of homicide deaths.
- Men make up the majority of homicide victims.
- More than half of the people killed in the city’s homicides are between the ages of 19 and 39.
You can scroll in and click on each location to read more about the person who was killed. A red ‘X’ indicates a homicide. A blue ‘X’ indicates an officer-involved shooting where a civilian was killed. Those cases are investigated as homicides by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story stated that 63 homicides had occurred in the city of Birmingham as of July 7, 2021. It has been corrected to 64. Additionally, the graphics have been updated to reflect this change.
40 years after ‘Purple Rain,’ Prince’s band remembers how the movie came together
Before social media, the film Purple Rain gave audiences a peak into Prince’s musical life. Band members say the true genesis of the title song was much less combative than the version presented in the film.
Park Fire in California could continue growing exponentially, Cal Fire officer says
Cal Fire has confirmed that over a hundred structures have been damaged in the Park Fire, which grew overnight near Chico, Calif. Difficult firefighting conditions are forecast through Friday night.
Checking in with Black voters in Georgia about the election, now that Biden is out
Some voters who could be key to deciding who wins Georgia. What do they think about Vice President Harris becoming the frontrunner in the race to be the Democratic nominee?
Tahiti’s waves are a matter of ‘life and death’ for surfing Olympics
Tahiti's Teahupo'o wave has a slew of riders for the Paris 2024 Olympics. NPR finds out why it's called one of the most dangerous waves.
Researchers are revising botanical names to address troubling connotations
Since the mid-1700s, researchers have classified life with scientific names. But some of them have problematic histories and connotations. The botanical community is trying to tackle this issue.
A spectacular opening ceremony wowed a global audience despite Paris’ on-and-off rain
The Paris Olympics opening ceremony wowed Parisians, fans and most everyone who was able to catch a glimpse of thousands of athletes floating down the Seine to officially begin the Games.
