A 26-year-old Bessemer man, Jar’Darrius Julius, has been charged in connection with a shooting that injured three people, including two young brothers, in Birmingham this past October.
Julius is facing multiple charges, including attempted murder, two counts of first-degree assault, and discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle. He was arrested by the Birmingham Police Department’s Crime Reduction Team and booked into Jefferson County Jail on Friday. Julius was later released after posting a $150,000 bond the same day.
The shooting took place on Tuesday, October 15, around 8:15 p.m. in the 1400 block of Third Avenue West, a busy street in Birmingham. The victims were in their SUV, on their way to the hospital after a football practice. The family had just left practice in Midfield, where the two young brothers, Kam and King Pritchett, had been. King had injured his wrist during practice, and they were heading to the hospital when the shooting occurred.
The family’s SUV had stopped at a traffic light when someone in another vehicle began firing at them. Police later confirmed that the adult male in the vehicle was the intended target. However, Kam, 7, and King, 9, both suffered gunshot wounds. Kam was shot in the face, while King was shot in the leg. Fortunately, both boys survived but were taken to Children’s of Alabama for treatment.
The boys’ great-grandmother, Carolyn Patterson, told reporters that the family had no idea why they were targeted. “They were just on their way to get help for King’s wrist,” she said. Kodi, another brother, was in the vehicle but managed to escape injury during the shooting.
The gunfire was intense. Birmingham’s Shot Spotter technology registered about 20 rounds fired, and police say the SUV was hit at least a dozen times on the passenger side. Following the shooting, Birmingham Fire and Rescue responded quickly, transporting the adult male victim to UAB Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
After the incident, Julius was taken into custody in Bessemer. While police have yet to release a motive for the attack, they continue to investigate the shooting. Officer Truman Fitzgerald, speaking about the case, emphasized that the adult male in the vehicle was the intended target of the gunfire.
The charges against Julius have raised concern in the community, particularly since two innocent children were injured in what appears to have been an act of violence aimed at an adult. The Pritchett family, shaken by the traumatic event, has expressed their relief that Kam and King survived but also their ongoing fear and sadness about the attack.
The investigation into the shooting continues as authorities work to determine the full circumstances and motive behind the shooting. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Birmingham Police Department or the Crime Stoppers tip line.
