Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin implored parents and guardians of juveniles on Tuesday to keep an eye on them after a 15-year-old boy was fatally shot while with his friends earlier this month.
Prentice Lovell Little died on the morning of July 7 after he spent the entire night joyriding with friends, authorities said.
He and four other teens were pulling their van into a parking lot when a 14-year-old mishandled a gun, fatally striking Prentice.
“In speaking with the parents, they did not know where these children were, they didn’t know they had been riding around all night, they didn’t know they were riding around until the sun came up,” Woodfin said.
“They were unaware of a pistol being in the car and they found out the tragic news that one of them had been killed.”
The mayor described the incident as “sad and tragic” noting that a child was killed and another is facing charges.
“Just speaking directly to our parents, it’s extremely important to know where your child is, to know who they are with, and to know what’s in the vehicle,”
“I implore our parents in this community, I implore a person that takes on a parental role in this community, to always know where your child, children are.”
