Crime
Two Killed in Separate Overnight Shootings in Birmingham, Occurring Minutes Apart

Birmingham police are investigating two separate fatal shootings that occurred within minutes of each other on opposite sides of the city overnight, leaving two young men dead.
The first incident took place around midnight in the 1400 block of 57th Street in Ensley. Officers responded to reports of gunfire and arrived to find 22-year-old Xavier Colvert unresponsive inside his white pickup truck.
Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service personnel pronounced Colvert dead at the scene. Authorities marked at least six shell casings near the passenger side of the truck, indicating multiple shots had been fired.
Just 21 minutes later, at approximately 12:21 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 600 block of Eighth Terrace West following another report of gunfire.
Upon arrival, they discovered a vehicle riddled with bullet holes, having crashed into shrubbery and the front porch of a nearby home.
Police reported that more than two dozen shots were fired during this incident.
The driver of the vehicle, identified as 18-year-old Ronald Bennett Jr., was found lying on the ground outside the car and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities believe Bennett was a student at Huffman High School.
A passenger in the vehicle reportedly attempted to regain control after Bennett was shot, but the car veered off the road and crashed.
Multiple friends and family members gathered at the scene as investigators worked and a tow truck removed the vehicle from the property.
“Our heartfelt condolences go out to the Huffman High School community,” said Birmingham Police Officer Truman Fitzgerald.
These two deaths mark Birmingham’s ninth and tenth homicides of 2025. The city has already experienced eight homicides in January—two more than in the same month last year.
In total, Jefferson County has recorded 15 homicides so far this year, including the ten within Birmingham city limits.
Anyone with information related to these cases is urged to contact Birmingham Police detectives at 205-254-1764 or provide anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
Crime
2 shot outside Brown Middle School in Forney, Two Suspects in Custody

The Kaufman County Sheriff’s Department is actively investigating a shooting that took place Friday afternoon near Brown Middle School in Forney ISD.
Authorities confirmed that two individuals were shot in a residential neighborhood near Windmill Farms Boulevard, just outside Forney city limits.
In response to the incident, two individuals have been taken into custody in connection with the shooting.
However, law enforcement has not yet released details regarding their identities or possible motives.
Forney ISD officials confirmed the presence of an active crime scene in the vicinity, prompting precautionary security measures across multiple campuses.
Brown Middle School, along with North Forney Middle School, Smith Intermediate, Dewberry Elementary, Blackburn Elementary, and Forney Learning Academy, were placed in “secure” mode as a safety precaution.
Despite the close proximity of the shooting, Forney ISD emphasized that the incident did not occur on school grounds and that all students and staff remained safe throughout the situation.
News footage from the scene showed crime scene tape around a vehicle parked in front of the school.
The district lifted the security measures at approximately 3:30 p.m. and began releasing students to their parents.
Students who walk home were expected to leave at their normal dismissal time of 4:00 p.m., though minor delays were anticipated for bus routes.
Law enforcement officials continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting. No further details have been provided regarding the condition of the victims.