Alexis Wise and Joshua Parsons found shot dead in car outside vacant Birmingham house

A tragic discovery in Birmingham on Tuesday night has left a community in mourning after two individuals were found shot to death in a vehicle on Princeton Avenue S.W. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office identified the victims as 16-year-old Alexis Elizabeth Wise and 21-year-old Joshua Wayne Parsons, both residents of Hueytown. Their deaths mark another somber incident in a series of recent shootings affecting the area.

According to Birmingham police, officers responded to a 10:29 p.m. call reporting a vehicle stopped on the sidewalk outside an abandoned house in the 1300 block of Princeton Avenue S.W. A passerby had noticed the car, riddled with bullet holes, slowly rolling in reverse before it eventually came to a halt on the sidewalk in front of two vacant houses. When officers approached the vehicle, they found Wise and Parsons unresponsive inside.

Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service quickly arrived on the scene, but both Wise and Parsons were pronounced dead at 10:47 p.m. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin mentioned that while neighbors reported no sounds of gunfire, preliminary evidence suggests the shots may have been fired from within the vehicle, though no official confirmation has been made on the exact circumstances of the shooting.

This incident adds to a troubling week for Birmingham, as it is the second shooting death involving a local teenager. Earlier on Tuesday, 17-year-old Gerald Andre Lomax Jr., a senior at Jackson-Olin High School, was fatally shot in a separate incident. The spike in youth violence has raised concerns among community leaders and residents, who are grappling with the impact of these recent losses.

Birmingham police are continuing their investigation into the shooting and have not yet made any arrests. Authorities are urging anyone with information on the incident to contact Birmingham homicide detectives at 205-254-1764. For those wishing to remain anonymous, tips can also be shared through Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.

The city of Birmingham, along with the families and friends of the victims, is left reeling from these tragic events. Both Wise and Parsons’ untimely deaths have underscored the need for answers and action, as authorities and the community work to address the rising violence affecting the area’s youth.