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

UAB Nursing Student Fatally Shot Outside Student Center

  • By Yvonne Marquez
  • December 21, 2020

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 [email protected]

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