In the summer of 2008, the life of Dexter Earl Jenkins, a 36-year-old man from Birmingham, was cut short when he passed away on June 25th. A member of the Faith Chapel Christian Center who also attended Unity of Birmingham, he was remembered in services held in early July of that year. The specific circumstances surrounding his death were not detailed in publicly available information, and there was no mention of any investigation or persons of interest related to his passing.
He left behind a loving family, including his mother, father, a brother, and seven children who continued to cherish his memory in the years that followed.
A tragic altercation at a convenience store in Birmingham's Engle Nook community on a Tuesday night in April culminated in the death of 16-year-old Jaylin Lee Jenkins. Security footage from the Big Boy's convenience store captured the moments leading up to the fatal shooting. The video shows Jaylin walking back to his car following what police described as an argument with an individual inside the store. As he was pulling away, another person approached his vehicle, and they appeared to have a conversation, with the individual even leaning into the car. For reasons that are not entirely clear from the footage, this person then ran away, and Jaylin drove off, looping around and nearly hitting the person and someone else before heading down Jackson Street.
At some point after driving away, Jaylin was shot through his car door. He continued to drive down the street before his vehicle crashed into a yard. A neighbor who found him described him as unresponsive with his foot still on the gas pedal, having sustained a gunshot wound to the neck. Despite the neighbor's attempts to render aid before police arrived, Jaylin Jenkins died at the scene. In the wake of the shooting, law enforcement officials announced that a juvenile suspect had been identified and was placed on a 48-hour felony extension as they awaited formal charges to be filed by the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office.
On the evening of August 12, 2022, 18-year-old Alfred Lorenzo Jenkins Jr. became a victim of gun violence at a Shell gas station on Messer Airport Highway in Birmingham's North Avondale community. South Precinct officers responded to the scene at approximately 5:50 PM to find Jenkins inside the business, unresponsive and suffering from a gunshot wound. He was quickly transported to UAB Hospital by Birmingham Fire and Rescue personnel. Despite their efforts, he succumbed to his injuries the following day.
The preliminary investigation by the Birmingham Police Department indicated that multiple individuals had opened fire on Jenkins before they fled the scene. At the time of the initial reports, no suspects had been taken into custody, and authorities appealed to the public for any information that could lead to the identification and arrest of those responsible for his death. His passing marked one of a climbing number of homicides in the city that year, leaving his family and community to mourn their loss. Funeral services were held for Alfred later that month as the search for his killers continued.
