BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – Jackson-Olin High School football coach Joe Webb says his team is currently struggling to cope with the loss of Gerald Lomax, who will never step on the field with them again.

Birmingham police reported that Lomax was involved in an altercation outside a basketball game at Woodlawn High School. He and a friend tried to leave when someone started shooting at them.

Webb noted that this tragedy is even harder to bear because it appears to be a case of mistaken identity.

“That’s what I’ve heard from multiple sources — law enforcement and close friends,” Webb said. “Obviously, you don’t want your son to go to a basketball game and leave with multiple gunshot wounds. It’s something you don’t want to see anybody go through.”

Webb noted that Lomax’s teammates and close friends are still in disbelief over his tragic death. He goes out of his way to remind his players who Lomax was and the impact he had on their team.

“I try to be a shoulder to lean on and remind them what kind of person Gerald was,” Webb added. “He was a great guy with a great personality. He wore a smile every day and was a great competitor. He was a leader.”

Both Webb and Birmingham Schools Superintendent Dr. Mark Sullivan are now urging adults in the community to take action to prevent more young lives from being lost.

“Senseless violence does not happen in our community,” Dr. Sullivan said. “We owe it to our children to provide them with the safest possible environment and the opportunity to enjoy a full life. Parents, aunts, uncles and neighbors – we’re all in this together.”

If you have information about Tuesday’s shooting, Birmingham Police and Crime Stoppers are encouraging you to come forward. Students who may have information can also report it directly to the school system. To learn more, click Here.

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