Jaylen Andarrius Clark, a 17-year-old Black male, was shot in the first hours of January 29, 2023, and the night unfolded in Birmingham like a story split across two streets. Just after midnight, police were sent toward the 100 block of Nekoma Drive on reports that someone had been hit by gunfire, and while officers were still en route, a second call came in from the 1600 block of Lake Drive Northeast.
By the time responders converged, the scene had widened: one wounded man was found on Nekoma Drive, and two teenagers were discovered on Lake Drive Northeast suffering from gunshot wounds. The injured adult was taken to the hospital with what authorities described as non-life-threatening injuries, and both teens were rushed to UAB Hospital as well. Clark did not survive and was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Investigators described the violence as rooted in a clash between groups. Police said the teens were part of a group that went to Nekoma Drive and became involved in a physical altercation with another group, and that gunfire was exchanged as the confrontation escalated. In the confusion and movement that followed, the wounded were found at the two separate locations, tying the calls together into a single investigation even though the victims were not all lying in the same place.
Within two days, the case shifted from a search for answers to an announced arrest. On January 31, 2023, Birmingham police reported that a suspect had been identified and taken into custody in connection with Clark’s death. The suspect was named as Andre Carr Jr., who was described as being in custody at a hospital while receiving treatment for a gunshot wound he sustained during the incident. Authorities said he was facing warrants for murder and attempted murder, reflecting not only Clark’s death but also the survival of at least one other shooting victim. Reports indicated that after medical treatment he was booked into the Jefferson County Jail, and police said he would be held without bond.
