Birmingham Mass Shooting Leaves 4 Dead, 18 Injured in Targeted Attack
Police are actively searching for multiple suspects after a deadly mass shooting on Saturday night in the city’s popular Five Points South entertainment district.
The attack, which happened just after 11 p.m., claimed the lives of four people and injured 18 others. Authorities believe the shooting was not random, describing it as a targeted “hit” on one individual, with the other victims caught in the crossfire.
Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond stated that several shooters arrived at the scene in a vehicle, opened fire on a crowded street, then fled. Of the 18 injured, at least four remain in critical condition. The University of Alabama Hospital treated 11 of the victims, while others were taken to nearby medical facilities.
Three victims—two men and one woman—were pronounced dead at the scene. A fourth victim, an adult male, died later at the hospital. Police have yet to release details about the identities of those involved, but confirmed the person targeted in the attack was among the deceased.
Detectives are working with the FBI and other agencies to track down the shooters, who are still at large. Officer Truman Fitzgerald urged the public to come forward with any information, particularly surveillance footage from nearby businesses.
The shooting adds to a growing number of mass shootings in Birmingham this year, reflecting the national crisis of gun violence in the United States.
The Gun Violence Archive reports at least 403 mass shootings in the U.S. so far in 2024. Birmingham alone has faced multiple deadly incidents, including a nightclub shooting in July that killed four people and left 10 injured, and a February shooting near a library that claimed the lives of four men.
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin called the situation an “epidemic” and stressed the need for state cooperation to tackle the issue. He also mentioned that gun conversion devices, which turn firearms into automatic weapons, may have been used in the shooting.
With no suspects in custody, the investigation is intensifying as authorities work to gather more evidence. Police are focusing on determining whether the attackers walked up to the victims or fired from their vehicle. “We are doing everything possible to uncover, identify, and hunt down whoever is responsible,” Fitzgerald said.
The city remains shaken, as residents and business owners try to make sense of the violence that disrupted a bustling nightlife area known for its restaurants, clubs, and live music.