The Birmingham Times
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin released a statement Monday afternoon following the shooting deaths of two 16-year-old boys in Ensley.
Todd Johnson Jr., of Adamsville, and Jeremiah Collier, of Forestdale, were both found shot to death inside of a car Sunday night. Both teenagers were students at Minor High School
In a post on Twitter, Woodfin said “it’s time to stop being numb to the violence and prioritize the lives of our youth.”
Johnson and Collier are the fourth and fifth school students to be killed in Birmingham over the past six weeks. One Birmingham City Schools student was killed in Bessemer last week.
Woodfin said in a statement:
“Gun violence has stolen the lives of five teens in our city over the past six weeks. I asked myself this question this morning: Besides family, friends and educators, who carries the burden of these lost lives? I think it’s time that we as a community bear this burden as well. They didn’t ask for this heartbreak.
“All we can do is uplift those who are hurting and work harder to protect the young people in our lives. Birmingham Police are working tirelessly to ensure justice for these hurting families.
“If there is anything you know about these ongoing investigations, please, speak up. It’s time to stop being numb to the violence and prioritize the lives of our youth. Until we are the ones who wipe those tears, provide protection and demand justice, the cycle will never break.”
Anyone with any information on this shooting is asked to contact Birmingham police’s Homicide Unit at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
