BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ( WBRC ) - Neighbors in east Birmingham are searching for answers after a Birmingham police officer shot and killed a woman Wednesday night in Gate City near Roebuck.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s State Bureau of Investigation is now leading the case. Officials say details remain limited as investigators work to determine what happened.

On Thursday, while many residents along Brunson Avenue said they didn’t know Vanessa Ragland, a few described a mix of heartbreak, frustration, and disbelief over her death.

One woman who lives nearby said the news of Ragland’s death brought her to tears as she is struggling to understand what led to the deadly encounter.

“A gun should not have been drawn and she should not have been shot. You have mace, you have a TASER,”

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