Injured survivor of shooting at an east Birmingham apartment complex on Tuesday speaks out

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (WBRC) – Sadly, a four-year-old girl has lost both of her parents. People close to the family say the girl's father died last week of natural causes and her mother is one of the youngest victims of gun violence in Birmingham.

“My friend really lost her life to stupidity,” Damarion Rankins said Thursday as he reflected on the events that led to his best friend's death. 21-year-old Asia Poole“My friend is gone.”

Police say Poole died Tuesday night after a fight involving several people at the Monarch Ridge Apartments in east Birmingham. Rankins says it was a fight they didn't start, and he certainly didn't think it would end with Poole's death.

Rankins, armed with crutches between his arms and limping because of a bullet hole in his leg, continues to nurse his wounds after spending two days in the hospital following the incident. Perhaps the biggest wound he nurses is the hole in his heart left by the loss of his best friend.

“Some people came and were ready to fight with her. They started fighting. The girl took my best friend's car and then shots were fired,” he said.

According to Rankins, the argument was caused by a mutual romantic relationship. Police are still investigating the shooting. No arrests have been made so far.

Although Rankins will miss his best friend, her absence will be felt even more at home.

“The baby had a wonderful mommy. Mommy didn't spend anything, didn't cost anything. Mommy was kind. Mommy was sweet. Mommy was Mommy,” he said.

Poole had a four-year-old daughter. When asked if the drama before the shooting seemed small in retrospect, he replied: “The drama is very small. It is literally so little.”

Get news alerts in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or subscribe to our email newsletter here.

All rights reserved.