Last Thursday, a nursing student was shot dead while trying to sell AirPods for $100 in a parking lot.
Destiny Danielle Washington was a 20-year old nursing student from Trussville, studying at the University of Alabama’s Birmingham campus.
She was with her boyfriend in the parking lot of Hill Student Center at the university when she was fatally wounded over a pair of AirPods that cost $100.
Following the shooting, Washington was taken to the Children’s Hospital of Alabama but sadly was pronounced dead at 10:10 pm.
The Birmingham Police Department posted on their Facebook page on Monday to announce that they had arrested 22-year-old Carlos Londarrius Stephens for the murder of Washington.
Police say that the shooting occurred during a planned meeting where Washington believed somebody was coming to buy the AirPods from her.
Stephens was arrested after turning himself in to the police on Sunday and has been charged with capital murder.
He was also a student at the University of Alabama Birmingham campus, where he had played football on one occasion for the university team. Stephens was a stellar player when he was at Thompson High School.
Washington had been studying a nursing course at the university, where she had gained a place through a Joint Admissions program.
Her former high school principal, Michael Lee, paid tribute to the student following the announcement of her death — which was made on Friday by Jefferson County Coroner’s Office.
He described Washington as an “outstanding” student of Clay-Chalkville High School, who stood out from the rest as one of the “special ones” until she graduated in 2018.
He remembered her smile most of all and her “sweet” personality. Melanie Gaines, who taught Washington at Clay-Chalkville High School, told the Trussville Tribune: “Destiny was one of those students that always tried to help out. She is one of those that always stayed with you.”
The University of Alabama posted a statement that expressed their sadness at the death of Washington.
It read: “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. Police believe this occurred during a meeting arranged to sell headphones.”
It concluded by saying that the university would not be sharing further details out of respect for her family.
In one of her last post on Facebook, Washington shared this uplifting message with her friends and family: “Your next 3 months are going to be better than your last 3 months. A big blessing is coming.”
1,505 safety-related incidents were reported in 2019 by the University of Alabama. It is among the least safe universities when it comes to crimes reported.
However, defenders say that reporting can mean that officials are strict when it comes to the issue.
