12-year-old boy killed in accidental Christmas Eve shooting in Birmingham

A young boy is dead in what appears to be an accidental shooting in a west Birmingham alley.

West Precinct officers were dispatched at 4:50 p.m. Sunday to a report of a juvenile shot in the 1300 block of Pike Road.

When officers arrived on the scene, they were led to an alley where they found a 12-year-old boy who had sustained a gunshot wound.

The boy was rushed to Children’s of Alabama, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

“From everything our officers have gathered,’’ said Officer Truman Fitzgerald, “we believe the juvenile accidentally shot himself while handling a firearm.”

“We have no indication that another person shot him,’’ Fitzgerald said.

Police believe the boy may have gotten the gun from a nearby vehicle. There were adults present.

“Everybody that was there is cooperating with us,’’ Fitzgerald said. “We’re going to investigate this as we would involving any death involving a juvenile.”

The 12-year-old is the second child this week killed in an apparent accidental shooting in Birmingham.

Three-year-old Kacey Jackson died Thursday when investigators say he found a gun inside a home in the 7500 block of Second Avenue North.

“The worst thing about these two deaths is we know from speaking to victims’ families that dates trigger trauma and memories, and you have a holiday as big as Christmas where we have lost two of our children,’’ Fitzgerald said. “You can only image what Christmas will be like in the future for these families.”

“I know once we conclude this investigation, Mayor Woodfin and Chief Thurmond are going to sit down at the table and come up with a game plan to do everything we can in our power to educate the public to prevent accidents like these from happening in 2024.”