BIRMINGHAM, AL – Four lives were abruptly and brutally ended in a fatal shooting incident that shook a Birmingham neighborhood. The shooting occurred a little before 3 p.m. on the 900 block of Center Street North, merely blocks away from Legion Field and Smithfield Library, according to Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service.
Responding to multiple shots fired alert, Birmingham police discovered the grim scene- four victims lying unresponsive on the ground. Each victim had suffered gunshot wounds.
The victims were identified as 32-year-old Cortez Ray, 36-year-old Talton Tate, 38-year-old Terrell Edwards, and 38-year-old Kevin McGhee, all natives of Birmingham. While three victims were pronounced dead at the scene, McGhee succumbed to his injuries at UAB Hospital.
From the preliminary investigation, officers believe that the victims were at a local car wash when an unidentified culprit(s) drove by and started firing. Police suspect that at least one of the victims was intentionally targeted.
Unfortunately, these targeted acts are not uncommon in the city, Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond pointed out. Still in the early days of the investigation, no suspects have been identified or taken into custody.
Mere hours after this heartbreaking incident, an unrelated tragedy added two more deaths to the grim roster; a couple who had been missing since Valentine’s Day was found, shot to death, in a car.
Birmingham Public Safety Chair LaTonya Tate came forward with a strong statement condemning the violence that has terrorized the city and expressing a resolute commitment to making the city a safer place for everyone.