CBS 42

Birmingham homicide victim was pregnant at time of death, autopsy confirms

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office released an update regarding the case of a woman who was shot dead Tuesday night in Birmingham.

Corieonna Shantrice Hines, 24, was found to be pregnant when she was shot and killed at an apartment in the 100 block of 9th Avenue West, Coroner Bill Yates confirmed.

Two young girls, aged seven and 13, were also shot. They were transported to a local hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, according to the Birmingham Police Department.

Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr cannot comment on the specifics of the case but told CBS 42 that in most cases if a person is pregnant, there is a capital charge for killing two or more people during one common scheme plan.

Carr said any time a person is killed in the presence of a child, that is also a capital charge. The suspect could be facing multiple capital charges which Carr said can carry a death penalty option, but at a minimum – life without parole.

“When you decide to pick up a gun, when you decide to let your emotions get the best of you, then there’s a price to pay,” Carr said. “Our job is to hold those people accountable, make sure we support the people in the community, the victims of crime.”

Assistant Public Information Officer Truman Fitzgerald with the BPD said that the preliminary investigation suggests that a man who was possibly in a previous relationship with Hines was the one who entered the apartment and fired the fatal shots.

BPD had previously announced that as of Wednesday, the suspect in the case was not in custody.