In the fading light of a Thursday evening in Birmingham, Alabama, a burst of gunfire shattered the calm of the Ensley neighborhood, leaving a young life extinguished and another hanging in the balance. On September 12, 2019, 18-year-old Javaruise Lerico Lewis was killed in a double shooting.
The Birmingham Police Department's West Precinct officers were the first to arrive on the scene, where they discovered two male victims suffering from gunshot wounds.
Tragically, Javaruise Lerico Lewis was pronounced dead at the scene by Birmingham Fire and Rescue personnel. The second victim was rushed to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries, his fate uncertain in the immediate aftermath of the violent encounter.
In the days that followed, the community grappled with the senseless loss of a young man. Details about what led to the shooting remained scarce, with authorities withholding information about a potential motive or any persons of interest. The investigation into the death of Javaruise Lerico Lewis was launched, but information regarding any suspects or arrests in the case has not been made publicly available. The narrative of that tragic evening remains incomplete, leaving a family and community to mourn a life cut short by gun violence.
