Blurred out photo of a police car with red and blue siren lights on.

UAB Nursing Student Fatally Shot Outside Student Center

A 20-year-old nursing student was fatally shot on Thursday night on the University of Alabama-Birmingham campus, reports a local news station.

Birmingham Police were dispatched to Children’s Hospital at 9:40 p.m. on Dec. 17 on a report that someone was shot. The victim was identified as Destiny Danielle Washington who had been driven via private car to the hospital. She was pronounced dead at 10:10 p.m.

“We are devastated that tragedy hit the UAB family overnight when a student lost her life after being shot in the parking lot outside the Hill Student Center,” a UAB statement read. “Police believe this occurred during a meeting arranged to sell headphones. Because this is an ongoing investigation, and out of respect for the victim and her family, we are not sharing additional information at this time.”

Washington was studying to become a nurse and was completing classes at Lawson State through UAB’s Joint Admissions program.

Washington was a 2018 graduate of Clay-Chalkville High School where she was on the volleyball and basketball teams. “As great of a student and athlete, as she was, she was an even better person who genuinely cared for others,” Michael Lee, the high school’s principal, told the Trussville Tribune.

According to Birmingham police, Washington was shot while sitting in a vehicle outside of the Hill Student Center. No arrests have been made.

Anyone with information on this case is urged to contact the Birmingham Police Homicide Unit at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning and Campus Security and Life Safety. She can be reached at ymarquez@1105media.com

Featured

  • Making Safety and Security Intrinsic to School Design

    Public anxieties about school safety are escalating across the country. According to a 2023 Gallup report, 44% of parents fear for their child’s physical safety at school, a 10 percentage-point increase since 2019. Unfortunately, these fears are likely to increase if the incidence of school tragedies continues to mount. As a result, school leaders are now charged with two non-negotiable responsibilities. The first, as always, is to ensure kids have what they need to learn, grow, and thrive. Sadly, their second responsibility is to keep the children in their care safe from threats and physical danger. Read Now

  • Unlocking Peace of Mind

    In a perfect world, every school would have an unlimited budget to help secure their schools. In reality, schools must prioritize what budget they have while navigating the complexities surrounding school security and lockdown Read Now

  • Emerging Campus Access Control Solutions

    Emerging solutions in campus access control can mean different things. Usually, we expect the topic to focus on the very latest in door security products and solutions that have just been recently released or are about to be launched. After all, staying up on improvements to keep campuses safer is critical. Plus, it’s always interesting and exciting to learn what’s new and how innovations are going to better protect lives and assets and help the industry be even more successful. Read Now

  • Here’s How Instructional Audio Can Play a Key Role in School Safety

    Ensuring the safety of students and employees is critical in today’s educational environment. While the threat of a school shooting is in the back of everyone’s mind, the truth is there are many possible scenarios that could crop up at any time in classrooms, hallways, and other school spaces—from fights or altercations to a sick child or staff member who requires emergency attention. Read Now

Webinars