By Barnett Wright
The Birmingham Times
Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin, joined by nearly two dozen faith leaders, on Tuesday announced a $125,000 fund to help solve crimes against six children under the age of 10 who have been shot in Birmingham so far this year.
One of the children, Major Turner, 2, died Feb. 5, just hours after someone riddled his Kimbrough Homes apartment with gunfire. Arrests have been made in only one of the cases.
The Gun Violence Against Children Fund will be used to provide money leading to the arrest of individuals responsible in the separate shootings. A $25,000 reward will be available for each case.
Authorities ID man killed in apartment fire on Birmingham’s west side
Updated 7:52 AM;
A 39-year-old man has been identified as the victim killed more than a week ago in an apartment fire on Birmingham’s west side.
Derrick Staples was pronounced dead Monday, April 26, after fire swept through a building at the Kimbrough Homes public housing community, according to the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office.
The fire broke out in one of the buildings near SJ Bennett Drive and John Bryan Road. Battalion Chief Sebastian Carrillo said firefighters received the first call at 2:04 p.m. The fire quickly spread, and flames were shooting through the roof of the building.
From The Tribune staff reports
BIRMINGHAM Birmingham Fire & Rescue crews responded to a deadly apartment fire on the city’s west side on Monday, April 26, 2021.
Battalion Chief Sebastian Carrillo said one person was found dead and one person was rescued.
The fire happened at Kimbrough Homes, a housing community off SJ Bennett Drive. Dispatchers received the call around 2 p.m. When firefighters arrived on the scene, the apartment building was already engulfed by the fire.
Carillo said one woman had to be rescued from her apartment while flames were raging. The unit she was in was one of four that were destroyed. She was not hurt. Four other units were also heavily damaged, but may be salvageable, according to Carillo.
1 killed in fire at Kimbrough Homes on Birmingham’s west side
Updated 3:55 PM;
Fire swept through a building at the Kimbrough Homes public housing community on Birmingham’s west side Monday afternoon, leaving one person dead.
The fire broke out in one of the buildings near SJ Bennett Drive and John Bryan Road. Battalion Chief Sebastian Carrillo said firefighters received the first call at 2:04 p.m. The fire quickly spread and flames were shooting through the roof of the building.
Eight apartments were heavily damaged, and some destroyed. The building is the same one where young Major Turner was fatally shot earlier this year. It wasn’t immediately clear whether that apartment received any smoke or water damage.
Who killed Major Turner? Someone knows, and they need to do the right thing, city leaders say
Updated Feb 19, 2021;
Two-year-old Major Turner died two weeks ago today, hours after he was gunned down in a close-knit, highly populated Birmingham housing community.
Since then, there have been prayers for the toddler and his family, tears for his life cut short and the family’s loss, outrage over the senseless, tragic killing. Candles have been lit, balloons released, and rewards offered.
What there hasn’t been, however, is someone, anyone, willing to step forward and give Birmingham police what they need to make an arrest in the case and bring some sort of closure, some sort of justice, to a grieving family, a grieving community.