Four Dead, 18 Injured in Birmingham Mass ShootingBIRMINGHAM, AL —
In a tragic incident late Saturday night, four individuals lost their lives, and 18 others were injured in a mass shooting in the Five Points South neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama, according to local police.Birmingham Police Officer Truman Fitzgerald reported that multiple shooters opened fire on a gathering of people. At the scene, authorities discovered the bodies of two men and one woman, while a third man later succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.
The suspects reportedly arrived in a vehicle, exited, and then began shooting. As of now, no arrests have been made. Fitzgerald noted that the shooting appears to be linked to a targeted attack rather than random violence, suggesting that multiple victims were inadvertently caught in the crossfire.Police Chief Scott Thurmond indicated that the shooting might be connected to a murder-for-hire scheme. He stated that the intended target was among the deceased. “It wasn’t about the location; it was about the person,” Thurmond said. “They could have struck anywhere the individual was located.”
Most of the injured individuals were outside at the time of the shooting, with four sustaining life-threatening injuries. The Birmingham Police Department is actively seeking information from the public and is collaborating with the FBI and other federal agencies. They have also announced a $5,000 reward for tips related to the incident and set up an online portal for submitting photos and videos.
The shooting occurred on Magnolia Avenue, a known nightlife area. Witnesses reported hearing gunfire that sounded like it came from fully automatic weapons. Earlier, Fitzgerald described the situation as involving “dozens of gunshot victims.”
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin attributed the violence partly to “Glock switches,” devices that modify handguns to fire automatically. He emphasized that these devices are a significant public safety concern in the city and noted that the authority to ban them rests with the state government.
The incident marks the second mass shooting in Birmingham within two months and the third quadruple homicide in 2024. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been over 400 mass shootings in the U.S. this year, defined as incidents where four or more individuals are injured or killed.—Let me know if you need any more changes!
