In the Kingston neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama, a Sunday afternoon turned tragic on October 9, 2016. Twenty-three-year-old Rakim Rashad Hawkins, Sr. was among a group of men engaged in a dice game at the corner of Ninth Avenue and 44th Place North. The casual gathering was shattered when an unidentified assailant opened fire on the group.
In the ensuing chaos, Hawkins and two other individuals were struck by gunfire. All three victims were transported to UAB Hospital for treatment. While the other two men were listed in stable condition, Rakim Hawkins succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital.
Witnesses reported that the shooter fled the scene in a vehicle immediately following the attack. Despite investigations by the Birmingham Police Department, the motive for the shooting remains unknown, and no suspects have been publicly identified in connection with the murder. The case remains unsolved, leaving a community searching for answers and a family grieving a life cut short.
