Mayor Woodfin’s exasperated message after bloody, violent week in Birmingham: ‘Control your behavior’

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, speaking Friday after a bloody and deadly week in the city, said murder cannot, must not, be a solution to trivial and trivial problems.

“Be careful who you associate with. Control your behavior. Know when to walk away,” Woodfin said in a prepared statement.

The latest homicide occurred before dawn Friday, when a 55-year-old man was reportedly awakened by a commotion outside a west Birmingham home and went to investigate.

Shots were then fired and he died in the front yard of his cousin’s house where he was staying.

His name was Renard West, and he was the fifth person killed in five consecutive days, the sixth in seven days.

It is the 80th homicide this year in a city that saw a double-digit increase in murders in the first half of 2024.

“It’s important that we not view these lost lives as just numbers and statistics,” Woodfin said. “These are real people who were tragically taken from grieving families – families who are now left to pick up the broken pieces.”

“It’s not fair to them,” Woodfin said. “They deserve justice.”

The mayor discussed the circumstances of the last five murders.

Kamryn Connell, 30, was killed in East Lake on Monday night. The fatal shooting happened shortly after 8 p.m. in the parking lot of an apartment building in the 7700 block of First Avenue South. He was found unconscious on the ground, with dice nearby.

Woodfin said the killing happened while the victim and suspect were playing dice against each other. No arrests have been announced.

Connell’s brother, Keleen Connell, was shot and killed by Birmingham police on February 23, 2022. Another brother, Kerry Connell, 18, was fatally shot in 2011 in the parking lot of a convenience store at 36 South Park Road.

Perez Demarco Moreland, 34, was shot at 8:04 p.m. Tuesday in the 7800 block of 3rd Avenue South. He was taken to UAB Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 9:54 p.m.

Police said Moreland and another man exchanged gunfire. Authorities have not yet said who fired first.

“Two men who knew each other were walking together outside when their argument escalated,” Woodfin said. “They both pulled out their guns.”

No charges have yet been announced.

A woman, whose identity has not yet been released, was found naked and shot late Wednesday just outside the front door of an Avondale apartment on Fifth Avenue South. A suspect was taken into custody at the scene.

Woodfin said the suspect and victim were together to “conduct an illegal transaction.” He did not elaborate.

On Thursday, Dietrich Lamont Boone, 45, died in a hail of gunfire at a busy intersection in downtown Birmingham. The gunfire erupted at 2:15 p.m. at the intersection of 25th Street and 7th Avenue North. The intersection is in the middle of an area that includes the Park Place Apartments, Marconi Park and Jones Valley Teaching Farm.

Boone, whose 20-year-old son was fatally stabbed six years ago, died shortly afterward at UAB Hospital.

Police said multiple guns were used in the shooting and more than 50 rounds were fired.

Woodfin said the victim was involved in multiple disputes with other people. No arrests have been made.

Shortly after 4:30 a.m. Friday, the city’s gunshot detection system — Shot Spotter — reported multiple shots fired in the 1000 block of Cotton Avenue. Police then received a call that someone had been shot.

Officers arrived and found West in the front yard. Birmingham Fire Department pronounced him dead at the scene at 5:07 a.m.

Community members were able to provide a description of the potential suspect. Police found him walking not far from the crime scene and took him into custody without incident.

Woodfin said the fatal shooting was caught on video. There was no indication the suspect and victim knew each other, or that West was the target of the shooting.

Additionally, a 25-year-old man, Javonte McDonald, was killed Saturday when someone opened fire on him while he was driving on Interstate 59 near the First Avenue North exit ramp. McDonald was pronounced dead at the scene. A second male victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

“We’re not trying to distract from victims or blame them,” Woodfin said. “At the same time, we have to ask the hard questions: How do we control destructive behavior? How do we control interactions between parties in confined spaces? How do we predict when homicides are occurring between parties who know each other?”

“As a city, we can do better. Birmingham Police are literally working around the clock to keep residents safe,” he said. “Your leaders are tirelessly looking for solutions. But ultimately, residents must do their part.”

Woodfin said people need to learn to walk away and de-escalate situations before drawing their weapons.

“Stop fighting over petty things. Stop living out your TV fantasies by trying to rob drug dealers,” the mayor said. “Stop the unnecessary retaliation that creates an endless cycle of back and forth.”