‘They should be preparing for graduation’: Teen recovering after weekend shooting, parents say best friend died saving his life

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - A 17-year-old Pleasant Grove High School senior is recovering after he was shot three times over the weekend, while his best friend died after helping him escape, according to the teen’s parents.

Sam O’Sha Slaughter was shot Saturday night while riding with his best friend, 18-year-old Brandon Campbell. Both were seniors at Pleasant Grove High School. Campbell died from his injuries. Sam Slaughter’s family calls him a hero.

“They should be preparing for graduation and enjoying their senior year,” Sam Slaughter’s father, also named Sam, said. “He just told me he had gotten accepted to Alabama. He just showed me his prom outfit. They were getting ready to fly. They were really good kids.”

The Birmingham Police Department said officers responded to a shooting around 10:45 p.m. Saturday and found a car that had crashed into a tree in front of a home.

Slaughter’s mother, Lashonda Jackson, said the home belongs to a family member.

Jackson said her son was shot three times and grazed once.

“The bullet went through his chest close to his heart, but didn’t hit his heart,” Jackson said. “It went through his back, but didn’t hit his spine. In the midst of it all, we are thankful for those things. We are thankful Brandon had enough strength to get him away from the scene. They were able to wreck in his cousin’s yard. That ain’t nobody but God.”

Slaughter’s parents described the two teens as inseparable and said Campbell saved their son’s life.

“That young man didn’t think about his own life,” Slaughter’s father said. “He thought about Sam’s life and got him out of that situation before he succumbed to his injuries. If it wasn’t for Brandon, Sam would not be here.”

While grateful their son survived, the family said they still want answers and justice.

“Whatever the situation was, the outcome was not necessary,” Slaughter’s father said.

Jackson said the shooting has left the family fearful.

“No one wants to live with the feeling that the person who harmed you is still out there,” she said. “No one should have to worry about looking over their shoulder.”

The family says they appreciate the Birmingham Police Department’s efforts and urged anyone with information to come forward. Anyone with tips can contact BPD or Crime Stoppers.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 13, Slaughter’s father said his son made it out of surgery safely, everything is good and Sam is expected to make a full recovery.

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