In the Ensley neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama, a dispute over a cellphone escalated into a tragedy that claimed the life of four-year-old Rodriquez Ferguson. On September 25, 2016, the young African American boy was playing outside his grandmother's home when a stray bullet struck him in the head. The senseless act of violence cut short a life just beginning, leaving a family and community in mourning.
The argument that led to the fatal shooting was between adults, an altercation that turned deadly with the introduction of a firearm. In the aftermath, the Birmingham Police Department launched an immediate and thorough investigation. Their efforts quickly led to a breakthrough in the case.
Within 48 hours of the shooting, authorities arrested 27-year-old Joseph Patrick Lewis. He was subsequently charged with reckless murder in connection with Rodriquez Ferguson's death. A grand jury later indicted Lewis on the charge, and his bail was set at $100,000. The swift arrest brought a measure of progress to a community grieving the loss of a child to a meaningless conflict.
