56-year-old Darryl Bowie killed in drive-by shooting in Pratt City

In west Birmingham on Wednesday, a drive-by shooting resulted in the death of one person and injuries to another. The incident occurred around 10:40 a.m. in front of a residence in the 400 block of Fifth Street in Pratt City.

Upon arrival, West Precinct officers discovered an unresponsive male victim in the road, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Birmingham police revealed the identity of the victim as Darryl Bowie, a 56-year-old resident of Fairfield.

A woman, located on the sidewalk, was conscious and alert but had sustained gunshot wounds.

She was transported to UAB Hospital with injuries that are not considered life-threatening. According to Fitzgerald, the victims were standing outside a residence when an unidentified suspect arrived, firing multiple shots.

Police identified numerous shell casings scattered on the street around the house. The assailant quickly fled the scene, and as of now, no one has been taken into custody.

“This street is generally quiet, and it predominantly houses elderly residents,” Fitzgerald remarked. “When an individual is willing to discharge numerous rounds on a populated residential street, we’ve witnessed incidents where innocent people have been unintentionally harmed by gunfire. We’re relying on the close-knit community of Pratt City to assist in solving this homicide because it’s known for its tight bonds, proximity, and rapid information dissemination,” he continued. Fitzgerald emphasized that today’s homicide is a notable case where a recently announced program by Police Chief Scott Thurmond and Mayor Randall Woodfin could play a crucial role in swiftly resolving violent crimes.

“In this case, we have a shooting that occurred in broad daylight on a densely populated residential street,” Fitzgerald stated. “Imagine if some of the houses on Fifth Street had cameras; these cameras could enable our detectives to review footage of the shooting, identify the suspects, examine their actions, and provide additional resources to expedite our response to homicides.

The deceased victim marks Birmingham’s 117th confirmed homicide this year. Among these, one involved an officer from an external law enforcement agency, and eight have been deemed justifiable.

Throughout Jefferson County, there have been a total of 163 homicides, which includes the 117 in Birmingham.

Anyone possessing information is urged to contact homicide detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.