Authorities have released the name of a 17-year-old killed in a Sunday afternoon shootout in southwest Birmingham.
Police identified the victim as Caleb Cornandus Witt. He had attended Jackson-Olin High School, where he was a senior.
“We have suffered the loss of a student in Birmingham City Schools and our hearts are deeply saddened,’’ said Superintendent Mark Sullivan. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Caleb’s family, as well as his friends and the staff at Jackson-Olin.”
A suspect is in the Birmingham City Jail on a 48-hour hold pending the ongoing investigation.
Birmingham police responded shortly before 12:30 p.m. to University Crossings apartments, formerly known as Montevallo Gardens, in the Titusville community after Shot Spotter indicated multiple shots fired.
They found Witt unresponsive in the back parking lot of the complex. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
Officer Truman Fitzgerald said Shot Spotter registered at least 50 rounds fired in the following locations: 400 block of Gamma Street, 300 block of Iota Avenue, 200 block of Powell Avenue, Center Place South, First Avenue South and First Avenue S.W.
Those areas are all less than a mile away from where the teen was found dead, which is the 200 block of Third Avenue S.W.
Police cordoned off most of the complex to help with crowd control as friends and family members arrived, obviously distraught.
Fitzgerald said investigators believe there was a shootout between two groups about a half mile to a mile away.
“We feel the victim was struck by gunfire and dumped in the back of these apartments,” he said.
While driving to the scene, a south precinct officer spotted a vehicle believed to be involved in the deadly shooting. The officer initiated a traffic stop and has that male was detained for questioning.
“We would just like to point out that we believe this shooting place away from the area where our officers are now,’’ Fitzgerald said.
“Let me point out...the group that he was with instead of taking him to the hospital, they took him to a back parking lot and just dumped him out,’’ Fitzgerald said. “That needs to be a message to the community of really look who you surround yourself with.”
Anyone with information is asked to call homicide detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
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