BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – Two years after her son was shot and killed inside a North Pratt area Airbnb in Birmingham, Shannon Compton still begins each day the same way — fastening two necklaces around her neck before walking out the door.
One holds a photo of her son. The other carries his fingerprint.
They are small keepsakes of 21-year-old Phong Nguyen, affectionately known as Timmy, but to Compton they are daily reminders of a life cut short and a promise she says she will keep — to fight for justice.
Family and friends gathered Tuesday afternoon, March 3, at Nguyen’s gravesite for a balloon release marking the second anniversary of his death. The group stood quietly in reflection before releasing balloons into the sky, renewing their call for accountability as the criminal case moves slowly through the court system…