Times staff report
A suspect is in custody in connection with a shooting that seriously injured a 4-year-old girl Sunday night in Marks Village, police say.
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, speaking at a morning press conference, said the shooting is “unacceptable.”
“Often times we want to place blame, we want to say ‘well what is the Housing authority doing, what is the police doing and what is the mayor doing’ and my response to that, after getting some factual information . . . is that outside of a private residence, two family members who were engaging each other is not something you can necessarily police when it’s family,” said Woodfin. “What I can tell you is that in no form, no way, no shape and no instance should a 4-year-old be shot and that’s tragic and it’s unacceptable.”
The mayor asked for prayers for the girl on behalf of her family.
The girl, whose name is Journee, was shot in the head when gunfire outside entered her family’s apartment in the Marks Village housing community on the east side of Birmingham, according to WVTM 13.
News outlets reported the little girl was taken to Children’s of Alabama Sunday night, her condition unclear.
Birmingham police spokesman Sgt. Johnny Williams said two people outside the girl’s apartment got into an altercation. One fired a weapon and a round went into the building, striking the little girl.
Associated Press and WVTM 13 contributed to this report.
