BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — A quiet east Birmingham street turned into a scene of heartbreak Saturday night when 23-year-old Ayia Harris was found lifeless in the 7000 block of Division Avenue after a late-night shooting.
According to Birmingham Police, officers were called around 9:45 p.m. to reports of shots fired in the neighborhood. When first responders reached the scene, they found Harris lying unresponsive in the road. Efforts by Birmingham Fire and Rescue crews to save her life were unsuccessful, and she was pronounced dead right there in the street.
Neighbors described hearing sudden gunfire cut through the night’s stillness. Investigators have not yet named any suspects or made arrests, and police say the investigation is ongoing. There were no immediate details released about a motive or who might have been involved.
Friends and family remember Harris as a young woman with a bright smile and a big heart. Those who knew her say she was full of life and always ready to help others. The loss has rippled through the community, stirring grief and confusion among people who knew her and those who live nearby. (Police and family comments are reported by local witnesses.)
Division Avenue, usually a calm residential stretch, became a place of intense police activity that night as detectives canvassed the area for clues and sought witnesses. Crime scene tape framed the block, and officers urged anyone with information to come forward.
This tragedy adds to a string of shootings that have shaken Birmingham in recent years, from mass gunfire in entertainment districts to isolated domestic incidents. Community members have repeatedly called for stronger safety measures and cooperation with police to stem the rising tide of violence.
Police say they are urging witnesses or anyone with video or tips to contact the Birmingham Police Department homicide unit. Harris’s family hopes that answers will come soon, and that the person or people responsible will be held to account.
Ayia Harris’s life, cut short on a cold January night, has left a community searching for comfort and justice in the wake of senseless violence.
