Neighbors really frustrated with most recent homicide at 3rd Avenue business

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – We are on your side following up on the homicide that happened early Saturday morning on 3rd Avenue West.

Police say shooters fired more than 40 rounds near 3 a.m. Saturday morning. One man is now dead and another is suffering from life-threatening injuries.

Representative Juandalynn Givan is now calling on Police Chief Scott Thurmond to resign following the latest shooting.

This is far from the first time a crime has happened near this property and some residents are saying they have had enough.

“This is happening way too frequently. This is multiple deaths in this year alone that has occurred at that location,” said Costella Adams-Terrell.

Terrell is the President of the Rising West-Princeton Neighborhood Association and says something has to change.

In January, Genise Carter was abducted from the 3rd Avenue West Shell Station and later murdered. In May, shooters fired at one another injuring six and killing another.

The city then sued the property owners and claimed the businesses were “essentially used as a launching pad for criminal activity.”

“It has become a hangout for nefarious people and it is just a haven for crime now,” said Costella Adams-Terrell.

Other neighbors say they want to see the owners make a larger effort to ensure the property is safe.

One even suggested the business should hire security to prevent further tragedies.

“We are praying and waiting for answers,” said one Bush Hills neighbor.

Another neighbor said just a few weeks ago, she almost got hit by exhibition drivers doing donuts on 3rd Avenue West.

The topic of safety came up in court back in May. That is when the owner’s attorney said the business was in the process of trying to make safety improvements.

This included installing cameras and barrier polls to help combat crowding.

Since then the city says they have seized illegal slot machines from the property and now it appears they are now working to consolidate the complaints against the properties.

We reached out to the property owner’s attorney for a comment. He shared the following statement:

“We are continuing our efforts to provide a safe and secure business and seek the continued support of the Birmingham Police Department. We have set up the latest surveillance technology on the property and it is tied in directly to the Birmingham Police Department’s Real-Time Crime Center. However, small business owners can only do so much; we need more police presence throughout the City,”

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