There was an eerie quiet at Birmingham’s Monarch Ridge Apartments Wednesday, just 14 hours after a shootout turned the parking lot into a war zone and left a young mother dead.
I was shocked,” said resident Shannin Ross, who was outside in the parking lot when the gunfire erupted and witnessed the entire ordeal.
“I almost lost my mind.” Violence is not new to the complex, formerly known as Valley Brook Apartments.
It has been a hotspot for shootings and homicides off and on for years and was the subject of previous legal action by the city of Birmingham.
“I’ve seen people get shot, and I’ve seen people make up, but this is the worst I’ve ever seen it.” Efforts to reach the property owners were not immediately successful.
It culminated Tuesday night when the two women got into a physical fight in the parking lot, which escalated into a brawl and then a shootout.
The stolen car was found abandoned in the parking lot of J Wings on Center Point Parkway a short time later.
The city of Birmingham in June 2021 filed a lawsuit against Steele Valley Brook LLC, arguing Monarch Ridge was a public nuisance.
Just fourteen hours after a shootout turned the parking lot into a combat zone and left a young mother dead, there was an unsettling silence at Birmingham’s Monarch Ridge Apartments on Wednesday.
Today, a large number of people stayed indoors, and some parents stayed home with their kids.
In small groups, others gathered and discussed the shooting that left many dead and the accompanying fear and anxiety.
“I was terrified.”. Resident Shannin Ross, who was outside in the parking lot when the gunfire broke out and saw the entire incident, said, “I was shocked.”.
I thought I was going crazy. “.
At the complex, which was formerly known as Valley Brook Apartments, violence is nothing new.
It has been a shooting and murder hotspot on and off for years, and the city of Birmingham has previously filed a lawsuit against it.
Residents claimed that although things occasionally improve, violence always flares up again.
Frequently visiting friends and family at the property, former resident Angela Allen stated, “It has gotten worse.”.
Although I have witnessed shootings and reconciliations, this is the worst I have ever witnessed. “.
Contact attempts with the property owners did not yield immediate results.
In addition to wounding one of her close friends, Asia Alyce Poole, 21, was killed on Tuesday night in a hail of gunfire.
Poole, a resident of Monarch Ridge, departed with a daughter who began prekindergarten this week. The father of the child, 21, passed away on July 26.
According to Poole’s acquaintances, she and another woman were embroiled in a dispute.
The two women’s physical altercation in the parking lot on Tuesday night marked the culmination of their altercation, which turned into a brawl and ultimately a shootout.
Facebook live videos showed the altercation and the shooting that followed.
According to Sgt., after the initial reports of gunfire, officers were informed that someone had been shot. Wade, LaQuitta.
When the police got there, they discovered Poole unconscious close to her apartment building’s breezeway. She was pronounced dead on the spot by Birmingham firefighters at 10:31 p.m. M.
Just prior to the altercation, Poole shared a live video of herself from the parking lot.
The films captured Poole’s sister and brother’s heartbreaking cries after the shooting.
Poole’s close friend was brought to the hospital with injuries that did not require medical attention.
In Poole’s Ford sedan, someone fled, possibly including the woman he was fighting.
Soon after, the stolen vehicle was discovered abandoned in the J Wings parking lot on Center Point Parkway.
Although the exact number of shots fired has not yet been made public, police have stated that it may exceed 150.
It is probable that not all of the shell casings could be retrieved by the police. A spent bullet was spotted outside the breezeway where Poole was shot and killed on Wednesday.
Witnesses and locals referred to the shooting as “something out of a movie” and claimed it seemed planned.
They claimed that there were several shooters, some of whom were mask-wearing and carrying assault-style rifles and firearms with Glock switches.
One resident, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals, stated, “They came for this.”. How well-prepared they were. All individuals were confined within the blocked area. “.
According to Ross, Poole was shot and killed in the breezeway, where at least three other people were also firing at the time.
After Poole and her friend “hit the ground,” her friend helped her up and they managed to make it to the breezeway.
Witnesses reported that following the initial shots, someone fired from a different breezeway.
Subsequently, locals reported, gunfire originated from all sides.
According to the police, numerous individuals who were not involved in the initial altercation also started firing weapons after the shooting started.
Poole was hit at least twice, according to witnesses and police.
According to Ross, a few nurses felt for her pulse but couldn’t find it.
Ross stated, “She had left.”.
That garbage has been lodged in her mind, she declared. It was a fight that took this little girl’s life. “.
Many cars and apartments were struck by the spray of bullets.
An anonymous resident displayed the bullet holes that had entered her apartment, one of which had broken a glass table.
“Today, none of the kids up here attended school. “Every child is inside the house,” remarked Allen. “They’re afraid to come out because they don’t know if it’s going to end in retaliation or not.”. “.
In case someone returns with a gun, “they don’t want them at the bus stop,” she explained.
People are looking for solutions, as are city officials.
Citing Monarch Ridge as a public nuisance, the city of Birmingham sued Steele Valley Brook LLC in June 2021. The lawsuit was filed one month after the complex claimed the life of a 29-year-old father.
Police responded to at least two homicides and four other gun-related incidents since February 7, 2021, according to the city’s lawsuit.
After agreeing to pay $15,000 to the city’s neighborhood revitalization fund, continue to use a license plate reader and share data with Birmingham police, and grant the police department’s crime center access to the complex’s surveillance system, the lawsuit was settled two months later.
At the time, the agreement stipulated that the owner had to hire a gate guard starting at 6 p.m. m. until two in the morning. m. Continue to use Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies who are not on duty for security patrols on a daily basis, and work with the city to conduct a 90-day study to determine whether additional security measures are necessary.
After the court imposed a one-year settlement, the city consented to have the lawsuit dismissed.
The owners of the complex are the subject of an investigation, according to Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin and City Attorney Nicole King.
The gunmen can either surrender to Birmingham police right away or face pursuit by the BPD and U.S. S. Woodfin shared on social media, calling them marshals.
Locals are begging for assistance.
Ross expressed her fear of being shot by someone shooting at someone else. She said that in order to protect her children, she sent them to live with their father. “Even coming home from work after work without fear of being shot at is impossible for me. “.
She uttered, “I have to live here.”. Regarding area rental prices, she remarked, “Everything else in Birmingham is high as hell.”.
Residents claimed that the police’s weaponry was insufficient to combat criminals’ arsenals and that the firepower was uncontrollably excessive.
“Police weapons and body armor need to be upgraded,” Ross remarked. Knowing that police officers have the same guns as them and plan to use them against them would put an end to it. “.
She said, “Even the police are in danger.”. They must possess the ability to combat fire with fire. “.
Call 205-254-1764 for Birmingham detectives or 205-254-7777 for Crime Stoppers if you have any information about the fatal shooting.
