In the early hours of a summer Saturday in Birmingham, Alabama, the life of 22-year-old Kirwin Keritius King, a Black male, was tragically cut short. On June 20, 2009, at approximately 12:40 a.m., King was shot in the 2500 block of Tempest Drive. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, he was transported by a private vehicle to Princeton Baptist Medical Center.
Despite the urgent efforts to save him, King was pronounced dead upon arrival.
A lifelong resident of Jefferson County, Kirwin was a 2005 graduate of West End High School and a senior at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He was an active member of the South Elyton Baptist Church, where he contributed to the Youth Ministry, Choir, and Usher Ministry. His death sent ripples of grief through the community, with many remembering his warm and welcoming smile.
The Birmingham Police Department promptly launched a homicide investigation into the fatal shooting. Initial inquiries by officers at the hospital revealed the basic circumstances of King's death, but the individuals who dropped him off had already left the scene. In the days and weeks that followed, law enforcement officials appealed to the public for any information that might lead to the apprehension of those responsible for King's death.
Despite the ongoing investigation, no arrests have been made in the case. Over the years, the death of Kirwin Keritius King has been featured among Birmingham's unsolved homicides, a painful reminder for his family and friends of a life taken too soon. The case remains open, with law enforcement and family members still hoping for a breakthrough that will bring justice for Kirwin.
