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.
Inflation rose less than expected in September, the U.S. belatedly reports
The federal government recalled some furloughed workers specifically to produce the inflation report, which plays a key role for Social Security beneficiaries.
This is not your grandmother’s ‘Hedda’
Tessa Thompson schemes, manipulates and awes in Nia DaCosta's dazzling adaptation of Hedda Gabler.
Boo to spooky chocolate prices! It’s the year of chewy, fruity Halloween treats
Sales of non-chocolate candy are growing faster than those of chocolate. With cocoa in shortage, manufacturers are changing pack sizes, adding fillers and dipping candy in "white creme."
No historic museums were harmed in the making of this quiz. Can you score 11?
From brazen jewel heists to internet meltdowns, this week brought travesties galore.
Here’s what experts say ‘A House of Dynamite’ gets wrong (and right) about nuclear war
Some praised realistic elements like the depiction of the White House situation room. But others said parts of the plot didn't ring true.
It’s supposed to be payday for many federal workers. Instead, they’re getting nothing
Roughly 1.4 million federal workers are going without pay due to the government shutdown. About half of them are furloughed, while the other half has been deemed essential and is working without pay.
