Adonnis Xavier Bishop McQueen

Adonnis Xavier Bishop McQueen was a 17-year-old senior at Huffman High School in Birmingham who was known by his family, classmates, and neighbors for a practical talent and quiet dedication: he loved cutting hair and was training in cosmetology with plans to become a professional barber. He kept his clippers close in his backpack and was preparing for credentialing that would have moved him closer to his chosen craft.

Though public records about his early life are limited, accounts from his school and community describe a young man who participated in everyday routines of student life — attending classes, spending time outdoors with friends, and carrying hopes of turning a skill into a livelihood. Teachers and school leaders offered support to fellow students and recognized the loss felt across Huffman High after his death.

Neighbors remembered Adonnis as a familiar presence in the Roebuck area, a young person seen on the walk to the bus stop or playing with friends. Those recollections emphasize the ordinary ways a teenager shapes a community: small kindnesses, shared laughter, and the ambitions that come with nearing graduation. His mother and relatives have been quoted in community reporting expressing profound grief and describing personal mementos, including trophies and his barbering tools, as symbols of a life cut short.

Adonnis’s death reverberated beyond his immediate circle, prompting outreach from Birmingham City Schools and local organizations to support students and to call attention to the broader impact of gun violence on young people. While many details remain private to his family, the verified public record affirms that he was a young person with a skill, plans for his future, and a place in the daily life of his neighborhood and school.

This remembrance honors the person beyond the headlines: a creative, hardworking student who took pride in his craft and who leaves behind family, classmates, and a community that remembers him for his talents and presence.