On the night of March 23, 2012, 19-year-old Tyrel Peoples, a Black man from Birmingham, Alabama, was fatally shot in the Ensley neighborhood. Officers responding about 11:50 p.m. to 1420 44th Street found Peoples critically wounded inside a Dodge Avenger; he was taken to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital and later died. A second 19-year-old was also found shot and taken to UAB with injuries not described as life-threatening. The surviving victim’s identity and any relationship to Peoples were not disclosed in initial reporting.

Police opened a homicide investigation but did not publicly identify a motive, describe witness statements, or say whether Peoples had been driving or was a passenger in the vehicle. As of the initial report, no arrests or charges had been announced and no suspect descriptions were released. Anyone with information about the shooting on 44th Street is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.