Hail of gunfire leaves man dead on grandfather’s front porch as Birmingham ties 2023 homicide total

A young man was killed in a hail of gunfire Monday afternoon in the Enon Ridge neighborhood of north Birmingham. 

The victim has been identified as 20-year-old Amauria Caffey, a Birmingham resident. His death marks the city’s 135th homicide of the year, matching the total number of homicides in Birmingham for all of 2023.

The shooting occurred at 12:12 p.m. in the 1600 block of Fifth Street North. Sgt. LaQuitta Wade confirmed that more than 20 shots were fired, though it was not immediately clear if the victim or anyone else returned fire. Wade said an argument preceded the fatal gunshots.

According to police radio communications, the scene was chaotic, with at least one woman taking cover under a vehicle in fear of the gunfire. She called 911 multiple times until police were able to reassure her that the immediate danger had passed.

Family and friends of Caffey gathered at the scene, visibly distraught. His father, in an emotional state, tried to rush past the police perimeter to reach his son, but officers intervened to prevent him from getting any closer. One man at the scene, who identified himself as Caffey’s grandfather, told AL.com that the young man had died on his front porch.

As of Monday evening, no arrests had been made in the case. In total, there have been 170 homicides across Jefferson County this year, with 135 of those occurring within Birmingham city limits.

Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact Birmingham homicide detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.