On Sunday, October 1, 2023, at approximately 6:45 p.m., two individuals met at the Southgate Village Shopping Center in Pelham. The individuals are not residents of Pelham and chose this location to conduct a Marketplace transaction. The transaction was for a cell phone, but both parties chose to also bring a firearm. A 16-year-old male from Birmingham was standing outside the victim’s vehicle when he fired three times.
“We are fortunate in Pelham that our citizens value their community and public safety and immediately called 9-1-1 to report the incident.”
A prompt response by the Pelham Police Dispatch Center sent Pelham Police and Fire to the scene to treat the injured and begin a thorough investigation. The victim, a 21-year-old man, was sitting in the back seat on the passenger side of the vehicle and was hit twice. The victim was treated by the Pelham Fire Department and transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The female driver was not injured. The juvenile ran to a nearby motel and left the area in a white car that was waiting for him.
The Pelham Patrol and Criminal Investigations Divisions immediately began using technology, witness statements, and physical evidence to identify the suspect and suspect vehicle. We are grateful for the assistance of the Hoover Police Department during the immediate response to the area. Within a few hours, the Pelham Police Department had identified, located, and arrested a 16-year-old male suspect in Birmingham.
“The quick actions and diligent investigative work by the members of the Pelham Police Department promptly stopped this individual from harming anyone else Sunday night.”
While public parking lots during daylight hours are generally safe places to conduct marketplace transactions, citizens must consider that risks exist. If anything about the environment or individuals involved causes any concern, we recommend canceling the transaction.
The Pelham Police Department does offer two “Safe Trade Zone” parking spaces marked with green paint on the south side of our building at 32 Philip Davis St, Pelham, AL 35124.