Melvin Anthony Burkes Obituary-Death News; Man 38, Killed In Birmingham Shooting; 1 Injured
Authorities have disclosed the identity of a 38-year-old individual who was fatally shot in an incident that also resulted in injuries to another man in southwest Birmingham.
The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office has confirmed the victim as Melvin Anthony Burkes, a resident of Birmingham. The shooting occurred shortly after 6 p.m. on Wednesday in the 1700 block of Pearson Avenue S.W.
Upon receiving reports of a shooting, police arrived at the scene to find a man with a non-life-threatening injury, as stated by Officer Truman Fitzgerald. Subsequently, officers discovered Burkes lying on the sidewalk with severe gunshot wounds.
Bystanders rendered assistance to Burkes until law enforcement personnel took over the life-saving efforts, Fitzgerald noted.
Both victims were transported to UAB Hospital by the Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service, where Burkes was pronounced dead at 6:27 p.m. Fitzgerald mentioned that one individual has been detained for questioning, indicating that it appears all parties involved in the shooting were acquainted with one another.
“We believe this incident originated from a dispute between the deceased and a third adult male,” he explained. “The third individual was not shot during this event. It seems that all individuals involved were familiar with each other, indicating a situation where the suspect and the victim or victims had prior knowledge of one another.”
Burkes marks the 134th homicide victim in Birmingham this year. Among these cases, 10 have been classified as justifiable, and two others occurred in previous years, with the victims succumbing in 2024. In total, Jefferson County has recorded 169 homicides, including the 134 in Birmingham.
Authorities encourage anyone with information to contact homicide investigators at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.