Birmingham Police are investigating an incident where a 15-year-old boy was shot and killed Sunday

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Birmingham Police are investigating an incident where a 15-year-old boy was shot and killed Sunday morning. Just before 7:00 a.m. Birmingham Police South Precinct officers were dispatched to UAB Hospital to the report of a 15-year -old gunshot victim. When police arrived on the scene they found the boy inside of a van. The boy was pronounced dead at the hospital.

“You have to properly handle firearms. Have to,” stressed Birmingham Police Officer Truman Fitzgerald in a late afternoon news conference.

After an investigation police found a possible location of the incident in the 9200 Block of Parkway East between a Walmart and Wells Fargo. There was blood on the ground and a handgun in the bushes.

Investigators detained and questioned four males who ages range from 14-18 who were with the the victim at the time of the shooting. The preliminary investigation has revealed all five males were riding in a minivan in East Birmingham when the 14-year-old had the gun in his hand and due to unknown circumstances he fired the gun and it hit the 15-year-old. The teens then drove the victim to the hospital.

The 14-year-old has been transported to the Jefferson County Youth Detention Center, after consulting the DA’s Office, where he is being held under a delinquent act, but at this time the police department does not believe they are looking at murder.

Nothing we have gathered lead us to believe that this 14-year-old intentionally shot this 15-year-old in cold blood.

The teens all knew each other.

“The overarching theme in this case is juveniles that have firearms in their hands, mishandle them and now we lost a 15-year-old because of that,” said Officer Truman Fitzgerald.

The Jefferson County Medical Examiner’s Office will perform an autopsy to determine the manner of death. This is still a very active investigation.