January 12, 2022
Jim Evancho
On Tuesday, January 11, 2022, at approximately 7:00 pm the Anniston Police Department was dispatched to the area of 13th Street and Christine Avenue to respond to a report of a gunshot victim. Upon arrival Anniston officers located a victim lying in the road, identified as Taevion Fife, 15 year old juvenile, of Gadsden. The victim was treated at the scene and transported to NEARMC where he died from his injuries. Investigators from the Anniston Police Department arrived and initiated an investigation. During the course of the preliminary investigation a suspect was identified. According to the official press release, the suspect, Nathan Averi Higgins, 19, from Oxford, and the victim knew each other, and an argument had occurred just prior to the shooting.
Higgins was located in Lincoln, AL where he was taken into custody and brought to the Calhoun County Jail. He is charged with Murder and currently being held on a $200, 000.00 bond. The investigation is still ongoing and if anyone has any information about this case, please contact the Anniston Police Department.
The Calhoun County Journal spoke with Higgins’ mother about the incident. Ms. Higgins stated that she had spoken to her son and believes this is a case of self-defense. According to Ms. Higgins the victim and suspect, who have been friends since they were about eight years old, met at her son’s apartment to conduct a firearm sale. Nathan Higgins was selling a semiauto handgun and the victim was there to make the purchase on behalf of another person. Taevion requested to test fire the weapon to ensure that it works, and Nathan handed him the weapon. Ms. Higgins then said that is when the victim advised he was not going to be paying for the firearm, so Nathan reached for it and Taevion fired a round. Nathan also had a second handgun and utilized it to fire back at Taevion striking him.
Ms. Higgins also stated that the firearms were “legal”, and her son believed this was just a simple sale of property. She went on to say that her son was a good person and would never intentionally set out to hurt anyone. “He has a full-time job, his own apartment, and two children, a one-month-old child and one year old, that he loves very much.” Ms. Higgins also said that Nathan has not gotten into any serious trouble in the past and can’t believe this happened.
Ms. Higgins discussed the sadness she feels for the other family as well. “There is another family hurting now because their child is dead.” The two families have known each other for many years, and she wants them to know that she is deeply saddened by this event.
Advertisement
