JaKia Winston

Ja'Kia Winston was an ambitious and outgoing 19-year-old Black woman who was, above all, a great mother to her eight-month-old son. Her family remembered that to know her was to love her, and her mother later wrote, "a piece of me died along with my child." She was independent and loved to sing, a young life full of promise.

That life was cut short in the early morning hours of Sunday, August 7, 2022. Ja'Kia was at a car exhibition gathering in a parking lot in the 800 block of 2nd Avenue North in Birmingham, Alabama. Around 3 a.m., one of the cars performing maneuvers reportedly collided with another vehicle. An argument broke out in the aftermath, and the dispute quickly escalated into gunfire. Ja'Kia was struck by a bullet and was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders. Four other people, two men and two women, were also wounded in the shooting, with two of them sustaining life-threatening injuries.

The Birmingham Police Department's investigation soon led them to a suspect. Shortly after the incident, officers arrested 23-year-old Ronald Demetrius White of Bessemer. He was charged with murder in connection with Ja'Kia's death. At the time, investigators stated they believed multiple shooters may have been involved and continued to seek information. The shooting prompted public statements from city officials, who condemned the dangers of illegal car exhibitions and pledged to implement stricter penalties to prevent similar tragedies.

On October 31, 2023, Ronald Demetrius White pleaded guilty to a charge of reckless murder for his role in the death of Ja'Kia Winston. According to the terms of the plea agreement, he was sentenced to serve 27 years in prison.