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The year 2022 was one of bloodshed for Birmingham with mothers, fathers, sons, daughters and even grandparents losing their lives to violence.
The youngest victim was a 3-year-old boy who died alongside his grandmother at the hands of his father, according to police.
The oldest was an 83-year-old veteran beaten to death during a Pratt City burglary.
Among the city’s 144 homicide victims were 20 people under the age of 19, many of them Birmingham City School students. Some died caught in random crossfire.
See also: Beyond the Violence: what can be done to address Birmingham’s rising homicide rate
“It was just a really bad year,’’ said Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond. “It’s sad to see 144 people who have lost their lives in the city of Birmingham and really for no good reason at all.”
“A lot of families have been ruined, lives have been changed whether a victim’s life or a suspect’s life,’’ said Thurmond, who is in his first year as the chief of the state’s largest police force. “It’s just a tragic situation.”
Mayor Randall Woodfin on Friday took part in Mayors Against Illegal Guns’ Day of Remembrance for Gun-Related Homicide Victims.
“Though this problem is not unique to Birmingham, the pain cuts deeper when it’s our communities, our families, our friends, our children,” Woodfin said.
“They were mothers and fathers. They were brothers and sisters. Cousins, coworkers, colleagues and friends. They are Birmingham,” Woodfin said.
“We say their names to remember them and their legacies. Let these names be a reminder of the toll of violence. We cannot turn a blind eye to the pain left behind in their absence.”
uts deeper when it’s our communities, our families, our friends, our children,” Woodfin said.
“They were mothers and fathers. They were brothers and sisters. Cousins, coworkers, colleagues and friends. They are Birmingham,” Woodfin said.
“We say their names to remember them and their legacies. Let these names be a reminder of the toll of violence. We cannot turn a blind eye to the pain left behind in their absence.”
See complete article on al.com:
Birmingham’s deadliest year in decades: These are the 144 homicide victims of 2022 – al.com
