Do you know who murdered Tekia? In the spring of 2017, a young Black woman's life was tragically cut short in Birmingham, Alabama. Twenty-one-year-old Tekia Turner from Gadsden was visiting a friend in the city when she was killed in a drive-by shooting on May 18th. The incident occurred as she and her friend were leaving a location off Woodland Avenue. Turner was a passenger in a tan car, which was being driven by her friend.
As they were reversing to leave, another vehicle pulled up alongside them and its occupants
opened fire on the car. Turner was struck by the gunfire. Her friend, who was driving the vehicle, was unharmed but witnessed the traumatic event. She later recounted that she ducked down as the shots rang out and, upon looking back, saw that Turner had been hit and was bleeding from her mouth. She described her friend as unresponsive in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
Despite the swift and violent nature of the attack, the driver was unable to provide a description of the suspect's vehicle. The case quickly went cold, and a year after the shooting, Birmingham police had no leads or suspects in Tekia Turner's murder. Her family gathered to remember her on the anniversary of her death, still seeking answers and justice. The investigation into the death of Tekia Turner remains unsolved, with no arrests having been made in connection with the homicide.
