Alabama woman indicted for the death of her unborn child after being shot in the stomach

An Alabama woman whose unborn baby was killed in a 2018 shooting was indicted on a manslaughter charge. Authorities said the mother initiated the dispute that led to the gunfire. Meanwhile, the charge against the shooter was dismissed by a grand jury. The story has sparked discussion about fetal personhood and abortion laws.

“Marshae Jones, a 27-year-old Birmingham woman, was indicted by a Jefferson County grand jury on a manslaughter charge… [She] didn’t fire the shots that killed her unborn baby girl, authorities say she initiated the dispute that led to the gunfire.”

“The investigation showed that the only true victim in this was the unborn baby,’’ Pleasant Grove police Lt. Danny Reid said at the time of the shooting. “It was the mother of the child who initiated and continued the fight which resulted in the death of her own unborn baby.”

The legal system seeks to ensure that someone is punished. it’s not about safety or justice or accountability. Police had the nerve to say “the unborn baby is the only victim here.” The fetus is seen as more of a person and victim than the Black mom who was shot.