5 people killed in Birmingham during the first 5 days of July

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ( WIAT ) — Following a number of shootings within the first week of July, the mayor of Birmingham has come out in an effort to help stop the violence in the city.

In the first five days of the month, there have already been five deaths because of gun violence in the city. The first was on Monday night following the death of Kameron Connell, who was shot in the 7700 block of 1st Avenue. He later died from his injuries at UAB Hospital.

On Tuesday, 34-year-old Perez Demarco Moreland was shot and killed during an assault in the 7800 block of 3rd Avenue South. The next day, an unidentified woman was found dead following a shooting in the 4200 block of 5th Avenue North.

On the Fourth of July, 45-year-old Dietrich Lamont Boone died following a shooting that afternoon at the corner of 7th Avenue North and 25th Street North. Then, on Friday, Renard Keith West, 55, was shot and killed in the 1000 block of Cotton Avenue SW.

With the exception of the West shooting, where a suspect was later brought in custody, no arrests have been made in the other shootings earlier this week. As of Friday, there have been nearly 70 homicides within the city in 2024.

Within the last week, the Birmingham Police Department has had a shakeup within its top ranks, with FBI veteran Jeffrey J. Brown replacing Shelia Frazier-Finney as deputy chief of investigative operations, La’Quaylin Parhm Mack out as assistant chief of police and Rodarius Mauldin being named deputy chief of administration.

On Friday morning, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin issued a statement calling for the city to “do better.” The full statement reads as follows:

“We have had five homicides in the first five days of July.

“It’s important that we don’t characterize these lost lives as merely numbers and stats. These are real people who were tragically taken away from grieving families – the families that are now left to pick up the broken pieces.

“It’s not fair to them. They deserve justice.

“As police continue to investigate, gather leads and facts, and place suspects on 48-hour holds, I think it’s important to share what has been determined in preliminary investigations:

“-One of these homicides occurred over an active dice game (victim and suspect were playing against each other)

“-One of these homicides occurred over an argument. Two men who knew each other were walking outside together when their argument escalated. Both pulled guns out.

“-One of these homicides occurred inside an apartment. Both suspect and victim where together to conduct an illegal transaction.

“-One of these homicides occurred in a front yard. It was captured on video.

“-One of these homicides occurred as a result of the victim having multiple feuds with others.

“All of these investigations are ongoing.

“We are not deflecting or victim blaming. At the same time, the hard questions must be asked: How do you police destructive behaviors? How do you police interactions between parties in enclosed spaces? How can you predict when homicides occur between parties who know each other?

“Hear me Birmingham, we must learn how to walk away. We need to de-escalate situations before guns are drawn. Enough with arguing over petty stuff. Stop trying to live out your TV fantasies by attempting to rob drug dealers. End the needless retaliation that creates a never-ending cycle of back and forth.

“Murder cannot, must not, be a solution to petty, trivial problems.

“As a city, we can do better. Birmingham police are working literally night and day to keep residents safe. Your leaders are tirelessly searching for solutions. But at the end of the day, residents must do their part.

“Watch who you hang with. Control your behavior. Know when to walk away.”

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