The Birmingham Police Department is investigating the city’s seventh homicide of the year after a 54-year-old man was found shot to death late Wednesday night in the South Eastlake neighborhood.
Officers responded to a report of a person shot at approximately 11:48 p.m. on February 18, 2026, in the 300 block of 78th Street South, a residential area east of downtown Birmingham. Upon arrival, they discovered Lamodrick Michael Lovejoy lying unresponsive on the ground suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.
Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service personnel responded to the scene and pronounced Lovejoy dead at 12:28 a.m. Thursday, according to Jefferson County Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates. The Jefferson County Coroner and Medical Examiner’s Office officially identified the victim as Lovejoy, a resident of Birmingham. No additional details regarding the circumstances of the shooting have been released by police as the investigation remains in its early stages.
Lovejoy’s death marks the third homicide in Birmingham within a five-day period and the seventh homicide recorded in the city for 2026. Countywide, there have been 11 homicides across Jefferson County so far this year, underscoring an uptick in violence that has law enforcement and community members concerned. The 300 block of 78th Street South has become an active crime scene as investigators process evidence and canvass the area for witnesses and surveillance footage.
As of Thursday morning, no suspects have been taken into custody, and Birmingham Police have not released any information regarding a possible motive or description of the shooter. The department’s Homicide Unit is leading the investigation and has urged anyone with information to come forward. Tips can be directed to detectives at 205-254-1764 or submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
Lamodrick Michael Lovejoy, 54, was a resident of Birmingham whose life was violently cut short in a neighborhood east of the city center. His death has left family and friends grieving while authorities work to identify those responsible for the shooting that occurred shortly before midnight on 78th Street South, a location now marked by tragedy as Birmingham’s latest homicide victim is remembered by those who knew him.