Birmingham, Alabama  – A railroad R&D technician and educator at the University of Birmingham, Alabama (UBA) was shot dead last Saturday. For the crime, Police arrested a Black suspect found at the scene and have since charged him with capital murder.

According to a media release issued by the Birmingham Police Department, officers responded to a call at the 1000 Block of Penthouse Drive on Saturday, September 30^th. That’s when they found White 29-year-old Thomas Bostany shot and unresponsive inside a car parked at the Mountainside Villas Apartments.

A preliminary investigation determined that Bostany had been shot multiple times by a suspect outside the vehicle. Emergency responders were called and pronounced him dead on the scene. Detectives quickly made an arrest, however, taking 26-year-old Samuel Edward Wiggens IV into custody.

Wiggens—who is Black—was found lingering in the area and was subjected to questioning at BPD headquarters. He was later transported to the Jefferson County Jail, awaiting trial. No bond has been set. If convicted, Wiggens now faces the death penalty due to a unique Alabama capital crimes law, which justifies the practice if murder is carried out while a victim is inside a vehicle.

Meanwhile, a local community is left reeling after the tragic loss of Thomas Bostany. A native of Birmingham, Bostany was a wrestling champion, Eagle Scout, and graduate of nearby UAB. Per his obituary, he was awarded a degree in mechanical engineering and worked as a graduate teaching assistant and full-time research and development technician for the railway industry, according to his LinkedIn page. The highly valued worker taught, tutored and advanced himself in various technological fields, many of which remain crucial in keeping the nation going despite an era of increased instability and economic downturn.

“He strove for perfection in all he did…,” detailed his obituary. “In life, Tommy wanted to be helpful to anyone he met. Whether it was fixing something in their home that was broken or just lending a caring ear, he just wanted to be helpful to others.”

According to online reviews of the Mountainside Villas where Bostany was found dead, the residential track was lauded by users for its close proximity to UBA, where the victim may have been employed at the time of the incident. Despite the convenience, reviews of the complex appear to warn prospective renters about the specter of crime and lawlessness that infects the area.

“This place was chosen because of the location close to UAB. It is also close to drug dealers,” said one user who allegedly lived in the complex. “Horrible apartments built on a hill. Expect nothing when it rains into your bedroom every single time. Crime, bugs, roach motel, and management only wants your money,” warned another.

Meanwhile, crime, lawlessness, and acts of savage murder continue to skyrocket in the majority-black city of Birmingham, Alabama. According to the 2020 US Census report, Birmingham is home to an overwhelming Black majority, clocking it at 68.12% and rising. While historically lower, the White community in Birmingham continues to be eclipsed and currently sits at a precarious 22.91%. According to the Birmingham Police Department, Thomas Bostany’s murder ranks as the city’s 91st case of 2023. Of those 91 that were investigated, only seven were deemed justified.

In 2022, Birmingham experienced a whopping 144 homicides, several of which were caused by stray bullets fired during drive-by-shootings, according to a report from 1819 News. Many of the victims in these instances were suggested to be minors. 

Labor Day weekend proved to be particularly bloody in Birmingham. In response to a spate of killings, Black Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodin called for gangs to “chill and put the guns down” in a post made to the social media platform, Facebook. In his post, the mayor specifically called out several Black gangs that continue to wage a terror campaign across the city, which include H2K, 6500 Boys, 420, TMSG, and CPMG.

Black criminals—with the help of soft-on-crime policies and a lack of prosecutorial will—are rapidly turning the United States into one of the most dangerous places for White people to exist in the entire Western world. In Georgia, Four White people were gunned down in a horrific mass shooting after police say a Black man fatally shot them in broad daylight. In August, a White man was shot dead in the street after a Black suspect fled the scene of a rowdy “disturbance” inside a Missouri fast-food restaurant.

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