15-year-old boy killed in Birmingham shooting now identified

Authorities have released the name of a 15-year-old boy who died in a shooting early Sunday in Birmingham.

The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office identified the teen as Prentice Lovell Little. He lived in Birmingham.

Police have said mishandling of a gun is believed to have led to Prentice’s death. A 14-year-old boy was placed in juvenile detention.

“What we have uncovered in the investigation leads us to believe we’re not dealing with a murder,’’ Officer Truman Fitzgerald said Sunday. “It’s more along the lines of juveniles out early in the morning and someone mishandled a firearm and now we’ve lost a 15-year-old young man because of that.”

Just before 7 a.m. Sunday, South Precinct officers were dispatched to a report of a person who showed up at UAB Hospital with a gunshot wound.

Once at the hospital, they learned that a minivan arrived at the emergency room with Prentice inside. He was pronounced dead at the hospital at 8:28 a.m.

Fitzgerald said police learned the shooting possibly took place in the area of Roebuck or Huffman. East Precinct officers began to coordinate with South Precinct officers – who had responded to the hospital – and found a scene in in the 9200 block of Parkway East.

More specifically, the scene appeared to be between Walmart and Wells Fargo, near a small strip of businesses.

Birmingham Death Investigation July 7, 2024 — Police are investigating the July 7, 2024, shooting death of a 14-year-old boy in the 9200 block of Parkway East.(Carol Robinson)

It was at that location that investigators recovered a handgun from bushes. There was also blood on the ground.

Four other males were with the victim at the hospital and remained there after taking him for help. The age range was 14 to 18. They were all taken to police headquarters for questioning.

Police learned all of the males – from the city’s west side - were in the van together riding around east Birmingham.

“Somewhere between the 9200 block of Parkway East and a different location, the 14-year-old male had a handgun in his hand and due to unknown circumstances, he fired the gun and he hit the 15-year-old victim and killed him,’’ Fitzgerald said.

All of the juveniles involved were questioned in the presence of their parent or guardian.

Fitzgerald said detectives consulted with the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, and at their direction transported the 14-year-old to the youth detention facility.

“This is a sad and tragic case,’’ Fitzgerald said. “These kids all knew one another. It’s another incident where a gun was in the wrong hands.’’

Anyone with additional information is asked to call detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.