On a tragic Labor Day in 2022, Keondra Ra’Shun “Keke” Hollis, a 23-year-old Black female and beloved local barber from the Birmingham, Alabama area, was fatally shot. The incident that claimed her life unfolded on the evening of September 5, 2022, following what was described as a verbal altercation involving multiple people that had been ongoing throughout the day. The shooting occurred at the University Crossing apartment complex in Birmingham.
Hollis was inside a vehicle when she was shot and was then driven to a nearby hospital by a private vehicle before being transferred to UAB Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The investigation into Hollis's death quickly led to a suspect. Sabrina Andrews, a 23-year-old Birmingham woman, turned herself in to the police just two days after the shooting. She was subsequently charged with capital murder in connection with Hollis's death. Friends and family of Hollis described her as a vibrant and promising individual with a pure heart, who had found her passion in being a barber and had aspirations of becoming famous in her profession. Her death was a shock to the community and highlighted the ongoing issue of gun violence in the city.
Sabrina Andrews's case went to trial, where her attorneys argued that she acted in self-defense. They contended that Hollis had come to where Andrews lived, which led to the fatal shooting. After the trial, a jury found Sabrina Andrews not guilty of the capital murder charge, and she was acquitted. The verdict underscored the complexities of self-defense claims in violent crimes. While an arrest was made and a trial was held, the legal proceedings concluded without a conviction for the death of Keondra Hollis, leaving her family and community to mourn the loss of a young life full of potential.
