Paul Gabriel Harris Jr

Paul Gabriel Harris Jr., known to some as “Gabriel” or “2 Yung P,” was remembered by loved ones as a brilliant, energetic, and funny man. The 33-year-old was a talented artist and musician who had attended Hoover and Spain Park high schools. His life, however, was tragically cut short on the afternoon of March 14, 2019, in a burst of gunfire that left him dead in a Birmingham, Alabama, street.

The shooting occurred around 2:30 p.m. at the intersection of 23rd Street and 9th Avenue South, near the Southtown Court public housing community. Officers from the Birmingham Police Department’s South Precinct responded to a call of a person shot and arrived to find a grim scene. Harris was lying in the roadway, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service paramedics provided aid at the scene before rushing him to UAB Hospital, but his injuries were too severe, and he was pronounced dead.

Witnesses at the scene told investigators they heard gunshots and then saw a man fleeing the area. The initial investigation by Birmingham police homicide detectives began to piece together the events that led to the fatal encounter. Within weeks, their work pointed toward a suspect. On March 25, 2019, the department secured a felony murder warrant for the arrest of 24-year-old Cedric Levy Alexander Jr. His last known address was in Fultondale, and authorities sought public assistance in locating him, with Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama featuring him as a wanted fugitive.

The manhunt for Alexander did not last long. He was apprehended and taken into custody to face charges for his alleged role in Harris's death. The case was then presented to a Jefferson County grand jury. In September 2019, the grand jury returned an indictment, formally charging Cedric Levy Alexander with murder in the shooting death of Paul Gabriel Harris Jr. While an arrest and indictment marked a significant step forward in the case, authorities did not publicly release a motive for the shooting.

Following the indictment, the case against Alexander entered the court system. In addition to Alexander, another man, identified as Towns, was also later indicted in connection with the fatal shooting, adding another layer to the legal proceedings. The prosecution of such cases often involves a lengthy process of pre-trial motions, hearings, and eventual trials as the justice system works to adjudicate the charges.

The death of Paul Gabriel Harris Jr. was a profound loss for his family and friends, who remembered him as a "loving uncle" and a kind soul. His profile on a gun violence memorial site is filled with messages of grief and remembrance, with friends lighting virtual candles in his honor. The case highlights the persistent issue of gun violence in Birmingham, a challenge that the city's law enforcement and community continue to confront. As of recent updates, the case against the indicted individuals is proceeding through the Jefferson County court system, with a community still waiting for final answers and justice for a life taken too soon.