James Lee Washington III, a 29-year-old Black man from Birmingham, was killed on March 20, 2023, after a violent confrontation inside an apartment in the 300 block of 1st Avenue North. Police and Birmingham Fire and Rescue responded that Monday morning to a report of a shooting; Washington was found with a gunshot wound and taken to UAB Hospital, where he died. Officers described the incident as a homicide that appeared to have grown out of a fight inside the apartment rather than a random attack.

Investigators said Washington had been involved in a physical altercation with his roommate that escalated into gunfire. A suspect was taken into custody at a hospital with injuries from the incident and was expected to be transferred to the Birmingham City Jail, but no name was provided and no widely available report has been found confirming later charges or court action. Washington’s obituary recorded his birth as August 20, 1993, and remembered him as a loving, caring man who helped others; funeral services were set for April 1, 2023, with burial at Zion Memorial Gardens.

If anyone has information about the shooting or knew James, please share what you can.