Photo Courtesy of CNN
A family is devastated after an Easter Sunday shooting injured four children and one adult and claimed the life of an innocent woman in Birmingham, Alabama. A statement from the Birmingham Police Department detailed the tragic events that lead to the death of 32-year-old Areyelle Yarbrough and five additional people being injured.
On April 4, police responded to a call regarding several people being shot at Patton Park shortly after 7 p.m., where a crowd of hundreds gathered to celebrate on Easter Sunday. The fun ended when shots were fired after an argument between two groups of men escalated– leaving Yarbrough dead and five other victims in stable condition. The tricenarian’s body was discovered by the passenger door of her vehicle by police. The survivors include one adult and four children ranging from age five to seventeen.
Evidence collected from the scene revealed over 30 rounds were fired. Unidentified witnesses gave detectives an account of what happened, but no arrests have been made. They also are encouraging other witnesses to come forward with information. Birmingham police believe there may have been more than one shooter.
Alabama.com reported that Yarbrough was an Alabama A&M alumna pursuing her master’s degree while working as a supervisor at the Jefferson County Department of Revenue. Before going to Patton Park, Yarbrough sang for her father’s (he’s a pastor) church service.
The well-liked woman was believed to have been trying to save the injured children’s lives when the gunfire erupted.
The publication also divulged that comedian and Birmingham native, Rickey Smiley, has put up a $5,000 reward for the shooter’s information. He is a close friend of the Yarbrough family.
Smiley said, “It’s time for the community to stand up. Everybody was out there at the park on Facebook Live. You know who did it. Turn it into the police department,’’
“I want these murderers, and all murderers found,’’ he continued. “Stop this no-snitch policy. What does it prove? How is that cool?”
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Mayor Randall Woodfin of Birmingham, who was also deeply affected by the shooting, said,
“All of us should be angry. If you’re not, I don’t know. All of us should be sad, and if you’re not, I don’t know.”
“I don’t understand why a 32-year-old innocent Black woman has to die when she’s just minding her own business, enjoying Easter Sunday in the park. A park is supposed to be a safe place.”
“There has to be some type of rule in place – no women, no children,’’ the mayor said. “If that’s violated, no-snitching shouldn’t even be part of the conversation.”