In the weeks after the death of the 40-year-old “Ellen DeGeneres Show” executive producer and DJ, Holker and her friend found a shoebox of his that was housing a “cornucopia” of drugs.
“I was with one of my really dear friends, and we were cleaning out the closet and picking out an outfit for him for the funeral,” the 36-year-old “So You Think You Can Dance” judge recalled to People in its latest cover story.
Among the substances inside were mushrooms, pills and “other substances I had to look up on my phone,” recalled Holker, who was married to Boss from 2013 to his death. Though she was well aware that Boss would smoke marijuana or drink once their kids — Weslie, 16, Maddox, 8, and Zaia, 5 — went to bed “to recharge,” Holker didn’t realize the extent of what was really going on.
“It was very alarming to me to learn that there was so much happening that I had no clue [about],” said Holker, whose new memoir, “This Far: My Story of Love, Loss, and Embracing the Light,” will be released Feb. 4. “It was a really scary moment in my life to figure that out, but it also helped me process that he was going through so much and he was hiding so much, and there must have been a lot of shame in that.”
Boss’ autopsy results, reported on in May 2023, showed no evidence of drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of his death.
In Boss’ journals, which Holker read following his death, she said he alluded to childhood sexual abuse he had suffered.
“He was wrestling with a lot inside himself, and he was trying to self-medicate and cope with all those feelings because he didn’t want to put it on anyone because he loved everyone so much,” Holker said. “He didn’t want other people to take on his pain.”
Holker, though, said she’s publicly sharing the family’s pain, as well as Boss’ own struggles, in hopes that those “dealing with the same thing will help themselves out of the shadows and [know] you’re going to be OK.”
The state of Alabama’s football teams were long ago eliminated from contention for the College Football Playoff, but there are still some connections with the four teams — Notre Dame, Penn State, Texas and Ohio State — that will play semifinal games this weekend.
Most notable among them is Riley Leonard, the Notre Dame quarterback. Leonard grew up in Baldwin County, where he was a star at Fairhope High School in both football and basketball.
Leonard might have been a more-dominant high school player in basketball, but as a 6-foot-4 forward was limited to small-college opportunities in that sport. He wasn’t all that highly recruited in football, either, with Ole Miss and Vanderbilt his lone SEC offers and Duke, Nebraska and Syracuse his only other offers from power-conference programs in the 2021 recruiting class.
To be fair, Leonard’s recruitment came during the height of the COVID pandemic, and he was thus not able to take official visits or attend camps prior to and during his senior year. The NCAA treated the 2020-21 school year as essentially one long dead period when it came to contact with recruits.
Leonard, of course, chose Duke. He had a breakthrough season with the Blue Devils as a sophomore in 2022, when he passed for 2,967 yards and 20 touchdowns while rushing for 13 more scores.
Leonard was injured much of the 2023 season, and afterward entered the NCAA transfer portal. He landed at Notre Dame, where his grandfather, Gib Leonard, had played in the 1940s.
Heading into Thursday night’s Orange Bowl vs. Penn State, Leonard has passed for 2,383 yards and 18 touchdowns while rushing for 831 yards and 15 more scores. After his season ends, he’s ticketed to return to his home area and play in the Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile on Feb. 1.
Leonard is one of two players on the Notre Dame roster with state of Alabama connections, though the other did not grow up here. Senior defensive lineman Howard Cross III is the son of the former Alabama and NFL tight end of the same name.
Howard Cross Jr. played at Alabama in the late 1980s before winning a Super Bowl ring with the New York Giants during a 13-year pro career. He settled in New Jersey after his playing days, and Howard III graduated from Saint Joseph Regional High School in 2019.
Howard Cross III has totaled 24 tackles and four sacks in 11 games this season, but missed the Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia with an ankle injury. He reportedly returned to practice this week, though it’s not entirely clear how much — if at all — he’ll play against Penn State.
Penn State cornerback A.J. Harris (4) played his high school football in Alabama at Central-Phenix City and the Glenwood School. He joined the Nittany Lions this season after one year at Georgia. (Joe Hermitt | [email protected])PennLive
Speaking of the Nittany Lions, they have four players — two of them starters — who played their high school football in the state of Alabama.
Cornerback A.J. Harris, a five-star recruit in the 2023 signing class out of Central-Phenix City, transferred to Penn State this season after spending his freshman year at Georgia. Harris — who played at the Glenwood School in Smiths Station prior to his senior year of high school — was a third-team All-Big Ten pick in 2024, totaling 46 tackles, four tackles for loss, five pass breakups and an interception in 15 games.
Wide receiver Harrison Wallace is in his fourth season at Penn State after a standout career at Pike Road High School near Montgomery. An honorable mention All-Big Ten selection this season, Wallace is second on the Nittany Lions’ team in receptions (46) and yards (723) and is fourth in touchdown catches (4).
Serving in backup roles for Penn State are linebacker DaKaari Nelson (Selma High School) and offensive lineman Henry Boehme (Mountain Brook), both redshirt freshmen. Nelson has played in 14 games this season, totaling five tackles.
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs played his freshman season at Alabama, winning the Shaun Alexander Award as national freshman of the year in 2023. He was a first-team All-American for the Buckeyes in 2024. Getty Images
Ohio State — which faces Texas in the Cotton Bowl on Friday — has three players with state of Alabama connections. Two of them are starters, while the third was a very high-profile recruit.
Running back Quinshon Judkins joined the Buckeyes this season after two years at Ole Miss in which he rushed for a total of 2,725 yards and 31 touchdowns and was SEC Freshman of the Year in 2023. The former Pike Road star has shared the Buckeyes’ backfield with TreVeyon Henderson this season, but has rushed for 924 yards and 10 touchdowns in 14 games.
Then there is safety Caleb Downs, who transferred in from Alabama after winning the Shaun Alexander Award as the top freshman in the country in 2023. Downs was a first-team All-America pick at Ohio State this season, and has totaled 72 tackles, seven tackles for loss, six pass breakups and an interception in 14 games.
Freshman quarterback Julian Sayin was at Alabama for only a few weeks after signing in December 2023, transferring to Ohio State following the retirement of head coach Nick Saban. The California native — a 5-star recruit in the 2024 class — has appeared in four games as the Buckeyes’ third-string quarterback, completing 5 of 12 passes for 84 yards and a touchdown.
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian was on the Alabama staff in 2016 and again in 2019-20. Three of his assistants also coached with the Crimson Tide under Nick Saban. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)Getty Images
However, it is Texas that has the largest volume of Alabama connections, with four coaches and two players (plus one very recent former player) with in-state ties.
Head coach Steve Sarkisian was an offensive analyst (and interim offensive coordinator for one game) at Alabama in 2016 and returned to be the Crimson Tide’s full-time offensive coordinator in 2019-2020. When he left Tuscaloosa for Austin prior to the 2021 season, he took with him special teams coordinator/tight end coach Jeff Banks, offensive line coach/offensive coordinator Kyle Flood and co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach A.J. Milwee. A Boaz native, Milwee was a walk-on quarterback at Alabama in the early 2000s.
Two Longhorns players also transferred to Texas from Alabama after last season. Tight end Amari Niblack has played only sparingly behind standout starter Gunnar Helms, catching five passes for 33 yards in nine games after totaling 20 receptions for 327 yards and four touchdowns for the Crimson Tide in 2023.
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond — famed for the “Gravedigger” winning touchdown catch against Auburn in 2023 — has had a much larger role at Texas. Bond has 33 receptions for 532 yards and five touchdowns, third behind only Matthew Golden and Helm in yards for the Longhorns this season.
Linebacker Justice Finkley played three seasons at Texas after starring at Hewitt-Trussville High School, but has entered the transfer portal. Finkley totaled 26 tackles, four tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in 32 games during his time with the Longhorns.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SCORES, SCHEDULE
First Round (campus sites)
Friday, Dec. 20
No. 7 Notre Dame 27, No. 10 Indiana 17
Saturday, Dec. 21
No. 6 Penn State 38, No. 11 SMU 10
No. 5 Texas 38, No. 12 Clemson 24
No. 8 Ohio State 42, No. 9 Tennessee 17
Quarterfinals
Tuesday, Dec. 31
Vrbo Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, Ariz.): No. 6 Penn State 31, No. 3 Boise State 14
Wednesday, Jan. 1
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (Atlanta): No. 5 Texas 39, No. 4 Arizona State 31, 2 OT
Rose Bowl (Pasadena, Calif.): No. 8 Ohio State 41, No. 1 Oregon 21
“Police Academy” star Steve Guttenberg is doing his part to help evacuees escape the 1200-acre inferno ravaging the Pacific Palisades.
While moving abandoned cars on Palisades Drive, Guttenberg approached a KTLA reporter to share an announcement about clearing the roadway for first responders and escaping citizens.
“Here on Palisades Drive, if anybody has a car, and they leave their car, leave the keys in the car so that we can move your car so that these fire trucks can get up Palisades Drive,” Guttenberg said.
“What’s happening is people take their keys with them as if they’re in a parking lot. This is not a parking lot. We really need people to move their cars.”
Guttenberg, who was not immediately recognized by the reporter, went on to say that he lives in the area and “has friends” in the Palisades who “can’t evacuate” due to abandoned cars plugging up roadways.
“There are people stuck up there. So we’re trying to clear Palisades Drive and I’m walking up there as far as I can moving cars,” Guttenberg added. “They’re families up there, they’re pets up there. They’re people that really need help.”
Guttenberg continued, “We got a huge fire up there, we got huge winds right now and it’s really important for people to help each other. It’s really important for everyone to band together and not worry about your personal property. Just get out. Get your loved ones and get out.”
Guttenberg told CNN later Tuesday that it was “the most unbelievable fire I’ve ever seen,” describing the devastation he had witnessed across the Pacific Palisades neighborhood.
Evacuation warnings have been issued for all of Pacific Palisades, including Rustic Canyon, Sunset Mesa and Palisades Highlands. More than 30,000 people have been ordered to evacuate their homes.
A “significant” winter storm is increasingly likely for parts of Alabama starting late Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
Forecasters issued winter storm watches for north and part of central Alabama that will go into effect at midnight on Friday.
North Alabama could see 4 to 6 inches of snow, with 8 inches not out of the question in isolated areas, according to the weather service.
Those in the winter storm watch in central Alabama have the potential to see 2 to 5 inches of snow and sleet.
That amount of winter precipitation, combined with very cold temperatures and cold roadways, expected to make travel difficult or impossible in many areas in north and central Alabama starting late Thursday, according to forecasters.
Nester Romeles shovels snow in front of a store at the Summit during a heavy snow on Jan. 30, 2014. (Frank Couch/[email protected]) al.comal.com
The weather service said hazardous road conditions are expected to continue through Saturday morning as temperatures fall below freezing once again Friday night.
The weather service said some snow or a wintry mix could be possible as far south as the U.S. Highway 80 and Interstate 85 corridors.
The snow or wintry mix could change over to rain for much of the state during the day on Friday, but temperatures are expected to quickly fall below freezing Friday afternoon.
Here’s a look at what to expect by region.
NORTH ALABAMA
The winter storm watch for north Alabama includes these counties: Lauderdale, Colbert, Franklin, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan, Marshall, Jackson, DeKalb and Cullman.
The watch will be in effect from late Thursday night through Saturday morning.
The weather service said heavy snow will be possible, with total snow accumulations between 4 and 6 inches and possible with higher amounts up to 8 inches.
CENTRAL ALABAMA
The winter storm watch for central Alabama includes these counties: Marion, Lamar, Fayette, Winston, Walker, Blount, Etowah, Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Talladega, Clay and Randolph.
It will be in effect from late Thursday night through late Friday night.
The weather service said heavy snow will be possible, mixing at times with sleet and freezing rain. Total snow and sleet accumulations between 2 and 5 inches possible.
SOUTH ALABAMA
No winter storm watches had been issued for south Alabama as of Wednesday morning. However, the National Weather Service in Mobile will be closely watching conditions on Thursday into Friday.
Forecasters noted that there was still “considerable uncertainty” about the type of precipitation that south Alabama could get, but there could be a brief period of snow and sleet for areas generally north of U.S. 84.
The precipitation should change over to all rain on Friday morning, and forecasters think that will limit or eliminate any accumulations or impacts.
However, the weather service noted that “one thing to keep in mind is that just a 1 to 2 degree difference in temperature could change the precipitation type, so this is something we’ll continue to monitor. Trends have been in our favor keeping all wintry precipittation accumulations north of our area, but still, something to check back on.”
Three Alabama steak restaurants – each of which has been around long enough to serve multiple generations of customers – are also featured among the 30 steakhouses that made the final cut.
Here are the three Alabama steak places on the list, along with Southern Living’s comments about each of them:
The All Steak Restaurant is a Cullman institution whose history goes back to 1934. (Photo courtesy of All Steak Restaurant; used with permission)
All Steak Restaurant in Cullman
“Alabamians know this Cullman institution as the ‘Home of the Orange Roll’ (we guarantee you down an entire basket of the buttery, pull-apart bread before your steak arrives to the table), but there’s another reason All Steak has been around since 1934, and it’s their unrivaled steaks. All Certified Angus Beef, you can’t go wrong whether you order a T-bone or gorgeously marbled ribeye.”
All Steak Restaurant is at 323 Third Ave. SE in Cullman. The phone is 256-734-4322. For more information,go here.
George’s Steak Pit in Sheffield was founded in the mid-1950s by George and Vangie Vafinis. New owners Scott and Leigh Anna Trimble carry on the George’s tradition.(Bob Carlton/[email protected])
George’s Steak Pit in Sheffield
“There may be fewer than 10,000 people who call Sheffield home, but people come from all over to snag a table at their legendary fine dining restaurant George’s Steak Pit. The secret to their enduring success (the restaurant was founded by George and Vangie Vafinis in the mid-1950s), is the famous open pit where everything from freshly cut steaks to fish and chicken is cooked over hickory logs.”
George’s Steak Pit is at 1206 South Jackson Highway in Sheffield. The phone is 256-381-1531. For more information, go here.
Nick’s Original Filet House — fondly known as “Nick’s in the Sticks” — was founded by Nick Delgado, who moved his backroads steakhouse to its current location on U.S. 43 on the western outskirts of Tuscaloosa in the mid-1950s.(Ben Flanagan/[email protected])
Nick’s Original Filet House in Tuscaloosa
“You may mistake this steakhouse for a side-of-the-road shack, but once you try a bite of their signature bacon-wrapped filet, we promise you’ll never make the error again. Housed in a tiny cinderblock building in the middle of nowhere (hence the nickname Nick’s in the Sticks), Nick’s Original Filet House is an unassuming anomaly. There are only a dozen tables inside, so be prepared for a wait. Order one or two of house cocktail The Nicodemus (we don’t recommend more than three) and prepare for a simple but delicious steakhouse meal: iceberg lettuce with the best blue cheese dressing you’ll find anywhere, hot buttered rolls, a baked potato, and a juicy bacon-wrapped filet.”
(In a video that went viral in July 2024, an employee at Nick’s Original Filet House was accused of using a racial slur. The worker later apologized in a prepared statement.)
It’s looking a little more certain that the northern half of the state will see snow or some kind of wintry precipitation possibly beginning overnight Thursday into Friday. And before that, we’re looking at really chilly temperatures tonight, likely down into the teens in the Tennessee Valley, so mind your pipes, plants, pets and kids. You can click here for more weather updates.
Thanks for reading,
Ike
Whose Gulf?
President-elect Donald Trump seems heavily focused on remaking the map of the Americas as his inauguration approaches.
(Incidentally, the Azalea Trail Maids from Mobile have been invited to participate at the Trump inauguration.)
Trump has revealed plans to reacquire the Panama Canal, to acquire Greenland, and to make Canada the 51st state.
But his latest plan actually affects Alabama’s map — or at least one of its borders.
AL.com’s Heather Gann reports that Trump said he plans to rename the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America.” He told reporters at a press conference that an announcement on the topic was coming — and he seemed serious.
“We’ll be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the gulf of America, which has a beautiful ring,” he said. “That covers a lot of territory, The Gulf of America. What a beautiful name.”
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, whose state of Georgia does not have a Gulf of Mexico shoreline, has promised to introduce legislation to give the Gulf “its rightful name.”
If this turns out to be real and serious, then there will surely be plenty of debate, academic and otherwise, in coming weeks. But I speak for my Gulf Coast people when I say nobody who’s ever called it “the ocean” should pass judgement either way.
More session warm-up
Let’s touch on two more pre-filed measures ahead of the Alabama legislative session — one that targets those who make a threat against a school and one intended to make your marriage safer.
AL.com’s Patrick Darrington reports that a bill from State Rep. Chip Woods, a Jasper Republican, would increase penalties for making terrorist threats. It also has a provision that would ban students from public-school property for an entire year if they’re charged with making a terrorist threat.
Another, from State Sen. Rodger Smitherman, a Birmingham Democrat, would require couples to take a conflict-resolution class before they get married, reports AL.com’s Heather Gann.
Right now, all Alabamians of age need to get married, legally, is a completed marriage document, a recording fee and a willing co-participant. Smitherman’s bill would require the conflict-resolution class and proof of age but not a marriage license or ceremony.
Smitherman cited concern over domestic abuse as a reason for the measure. If it were to pass, it would apply to those who get married after Oct. 1.
The legislative session kicks off Feb. 4.
Laken Riley Act
Now in her new role as a deputy Senate majority whip, Alabama’s Katie Britt is bringing back legislation named after murder victim Laken Riley, reports AL.com’s Howard Koplowitz.
Riley was killed on the University of Georgia campus last year by a Venezuelan man who entered the U.S. illegally, was detained and released, then later had other reported run-ins with the law but remained free.
The Laken Riley Act would require a federal agency to arrest and hold undocumented theft suspects until they can be deported. It passed the U.S. House of Representatives but was shut down by Senate Democrats.
The Senate version of the bill has a Democrat co-sponsor, John Fetterman, and faces more favorable conditions this time around with the GOP majority.
As a deputy majority whip, Britt has the responsibility of helping round up Republican votes on key legislation.
Do you remember the hungriest you’ve ever been? Maybe it was after a long summer day spent running around the ballpark, or maybe it was on a field trip at school, and you forgot your lunch at home. Or maybe you’re one of the 7.3 million children in the United States who has dealt with food insecurity at home.
Now, imagine having to sit down and take a geometry test while your stomach is rumbling. You’re having trouble recalling what day it is, much less what you’ve learned in class. You’re not you when you’re hungry. That’s a fact, at least according to the popular candy bar Snickers.
Building equity in our communities, especially as it relates to food insecurity, means we must focus our efforts on creating pathways to healthy, affordable food options for families. It doesn’t matter what part of the Country you live in. I’m sure we’ve all heard stories, assertions, or concerns that there are students who may not get the basic three meals per day, not to mention the additional snacks and calories that children need to develop. It’s a problem that seems like it shouldn’t exist, but in many communities, it’s more likely a reality than not for some students. This gap can be further compounded in areas where food deserts exist.
According to a recent study published by the University of Alabama at Birmingham, almost 150,000 people in Birmingham live in a food desert. This accounts for roughly 75% of our city’s total population. Some households have the resources necessary to avoid feeling the impacts of life in a food desert, but many families don’t have that luxury.
During my tenure, the Mayor and City Council have taken significant steps to address food insecurity and promote access to healthy food options. In addition to investing millions of dollars in the recruitment, retention, and incentivization of grocers, one of our most notable achievements is the adoption of the “Healthy Food Ordinance.” This ordinance includes key measures to support grocery stores and fresh food producers. It restricts the establishment of “dollar” stores within a one-mile radius of an existing grocery store, helping to safeguard the viability of full-service grocers. Furthermore, it streamlines regulations for fresh food producers and lowers costs for grocery chains interested in opening locations within the city.
Partnerships with mobile grocery initiatives, such as those offered by Live HealthSmart Alabama and Mercy Deliverance Ministries, continue to bring healthy and affordable food options to central locations across Birmingham’s communities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, which magnified the effects of food deserts, numerous food box and grocery giveaways were organized—many of which remain active today thanks to dedicated partners like the Northeast YMCA and Calvary Resurrection Christian Church in District 1.
In addition to these efforts, the arrival of key grocery stores has introduced new delivery options, bridging the gap between residents and essential resources. Brick-and-mortar stores such as Meat Depot, Publix, and Food Giant have celebrated openings across the city over the past decade. In 2023, the City Council further advanced these initiatives by approving an ordinance to allocate nearly $300,000 to establish a budget line item for a USDA grant. These funds, directed toward the Food Sovereign Program, will support the expansion of farmers markets in our area.
While these investments, partnerships, and grand openings represent significant progress, much work remains to be done.
Last month, my office took additional steps to address this problem and provide much-needed resources for students and their families in District 1. We have partnered with Goodr and Birmingham City Schools to develop an in-school grocery store at Huffman Middle School. Utilizing $277,500 of my office’s American Rescue Plan Act dollars, we will fund this pilot grocery store for the first two years.
This measure will allow families to shop for fresh produce, eggs, bread, pantry staples, and other goods for free. Families can fill up reusable shopping bags at no cost. They can register for this service through an online portal and set up a time to visit the store.
The Huffman Middle School grocery store will cover approximately 300 square feet and will operate during the school year. The specific details, such as hours of operation, will be determined through coordination between BCS and Goodr, but the store will accommodate 200 visits each month. If this program proves successful, we can duplicate this model in different parts of our city.
It’s been accomplished elsewhere, so why not here? Why not now?
I met Goodr CEO Jasmine Crowe in 2020 and was highly impressed with Goodr’s work, the partnerships they had developed, and their vision for the future. Over the last 3 years, I’ve had the opportunity to visit two Goodr Middle School grocery stores and one Goodr senior housing grocery store in Atlanta. I had the chance to see students and residents visit the store; I was able to speak with school administrators, teachers, and community partners about the execution and impact of each site. I walked away inspired and determined to help make an in-school grocery store a reality in Birmingham.
This is about more than feeding our students and their families. We want to make schools community hubs, safe places where knowledge, mentorships, personal growth, and lifelong friendships are cultivated. A study by the Learning Policy Institute shows that schools operating as community hubs often see increased attendance rates, with chronic absenteeism reduced by up to 15 percent.
A large part of our community has connectivity to a school, whether it be proximity, employment, or the education of a young child or relative. Schools represent some of our community’s largest and most up-to-date facilities; viewing schools as community hubs will offer a long-term return on investment. Research has shown that for every $1 invested in programs like in-school grocery stores, the return is estimated to be $10–$14 due to improved graduation rates, reduced criminal justice costs, and better health outcomes.
Even having one child go hungry is more than an individual tragedy. It’s a systemic shortfall that forces us to witness the unbridged gaps in equity, access, and compassion. Hunger is preventable, and its existence is a challenge to act — to build systems that care for every child, not as an obligation, but as a moral imperative.
Pervasive, systemic challenges demand bold, creative, and aggressive solutions; I am hopeful that this pilot initiative will significantly move the needle and drive meaningful change.
Clinton Woods is a Birmingham City Councilor representing District 1.
This is another installment in Birmingham Times/AL.com/CBS42 joint series “Beyond the Violence.” Sign up for the newsletter here.
Amid a violent year in Birmingham, local children may need additional resources and safe outlets.
The city saw 151 homicides in 2024, including the deaths of 10 children. Many children also have been injured in shootings. Violence can leave friends, family and community members with lasting trauma and fear.
“When young people have to navigate life with the reality that their family member, friend is potentially going to die from violence… that trauma and grief is really profound and sometimes not tended to, so making sure that there is a trauma informed, culturally responsive approach on top of structural changes is important,” Stephanie Hawkins, vice president of the Transformative Research Unit for Equity at RTI International, a nonprofit research organization, said.
“I have personal experience with gun violence. There’s not a day where we’re not talking about it,” Morris said. “I joined the Creative Minds club when my friends told me it was a place where I could express myself freely and with positivity.”
There are multiple local resources children, teens and families can turn to after something scary happens.
How to help a child after a traumatic event
Traumatic events can take various shapes and forms, but loved ones should be on alert after something dangerous or violent happens to or around a child.
Robert Smith, executive director of the Amelia Center, a comprehensive grief counseling center at Children’s of Alabama, said when a traumatic event occurs in a child’s life, parents and loved ones should make sure that the child has:
a stable routine including balanced meals,
regular school attendance, and
ample time with friends to process their emotions.
“One of the things I would stress after a trauma is that what children and teens probably need the most is a sense of stability and safety and structure. Their world, their reality, everything has been upheaved and challenged,” Smith said.
“Sometimes we move a little too fast and try to insist on them getting help when what they’re focused on is getting some calmness, normalcy and predictability.”
How to know if a child needs professional help
Cynthia Jones, director of the Children’s of Alabama Psychiatric Intake Response Center, said community violence can cause stress responses in children such as appetite and sleep changes, lack of motivation and hopelessness.
Jones said that after a traumatic event, parents and adults should reassure children that they are safe. An expert professional can help navigate emotions and feelings, too.
“Kids’ reaction to traumatic events is not very predictable for them. There’s no timetable, and their healing occurs over periods of months, and years and decades. So it’s just being patient with them. Let them know that there’s opportunity for them to recover from this traumatic event and that there is help out there,” Jones said.
While it is normal for children to express sadness, grief and even anger after a traumatic event, if a child’s behavior becomes abnormal to their character, reckless or dangerous, experts advise seeking out additional mental health support.
If months after a traumatic event occurs and a child shows signs of depression, anxiety, or persistent and worsening feelings of isolation, fear, irritability, stress or begins to self harm, misuse alcohol and substances, seek professional help.
“Knowing what your child has experienced and what their level of coping skills are helps. Give them some faith and some time to balance and then we intervene when we recognize that that’s not happening the way it should,” Smith said.
Alabama youth support and mental health resources
Across Alabama, community members have launched initiatives for area children and teens to curb violence and support youth mental health. Experts say giving children and young adults safe spaces to open up can be vital to overcoming grief and fear after a traumatic event.
The Amelia Center specializes in providing services for children and teens who experienced a significant death and offers free mental health resources and counseling for those who are grieving after a tragic event. Counselors for adults, teens, and children can be reached at (205) 638-7481.
Children’s of Alabama Psychiatric Intake Response Center has a resource line available at (205) 638-7472 providing callers with a database of community-based resources, mental health agencies and services tailored to a child’s needs. Certified counselors also are available to answer questions about mental health concerns.
“The prevalence of youth violence does not make it normal,” said TeAndria Ellis, founder and executive director of the Surge Project, a Birmingham nonprofit dedicated to youth and community development.
Most recently, 17-year-old Gerald Andre Lomax Jr., a Jackson-Olin athlete said to always have a smile on his face, died after he was shot in front of Woodlawn High School in November.
In the United States in 2022, there were 2,526 gun deaths among 1 to 17-year-olds, averaging nearly seven per day.
Gun death rates in this age range have increased by 106% since 2013 and have been the leading cause of death among children since 2020, according to the report.
Black children and teens are disproportionately impacted by gun violence. In 2022, Black children ages 1 to 17 had a gun death rate 18 times higher than that of white children in the same age group. And among deaths of Black teens between the ages of 15 to 17, more than half, 55%, were killed by guns.
“Communities that experience high rates of gun violence are just absolutely ravaged by this issue, and it has long, long-standing effects,” said Cassandra Crifasi, co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions and one of the authors of the report.
Experts say there are ways to curb the violence.
Preventing gun violence deaths: Experts weigh in
Authors of the Johns Hopkins report recommend implementing firearm licensing that includes background checks and required safety training, removing firearms from those at risk of harming themselves or others, repealing stand-your-ground laws and more stringent permitting for open and concealed carrying of firearms.
Experts say gun violence drains communities of resources and can perpetuate a cycle of fear and uncertainty throughout the community.
Crifasi said stricter gun laws and expansion of public health responses like community violence intervention programs are proven methods of curbing gun violence and improving communities.
“I believe when you give people the resources that they need to pull them out of survival mode, where they can thrive, you will start to see reductions in gun violence in the city of Birmingham,” Ellis told AL.com. “The power to transform communities lies within the community.”
Stephanie Hawkins, vice president of the Transformative Research Unit for Equity at RTI International, a nonprofit research organization, said at-risk youth are vulnerable to falling through the cracks and are hard to reach unless there are explicit, intentional strategies to find them and provide tailored support.
Hawkins said community investment in schools, transportation, clean water, violence intervention programs, job opportunities and representation of diverse voices in community violence prevention research and policies are all vital to making positive changes.
“When young people have to navigate life with the reality that their family member, friend is potentially going to die from violence…that trauma and grief is really profound and sometimes not tended to, so making sure that there is a trauma informed, culturally responsive approach on top of structural changes is important,” Hawkins said.
