Four Dead, 17 Injured in Targeted Shooting in Birmingham Entertainment District
A shooting in the bustling Five Points South entertainment district left four people dead and 17 injured Saturday night, marking the latest in a string of mass shootings to plague the city this year, CNN reports.
Police believe the incident was a targeted “hit” on one person, who is among the deceased. The other victims, caught in the crossfire, were innocent bystanders enjoying the vibrant nightlife of the area.
The shooting occurred just after 11 p.m. when multiple individuals drove up to the area, exited their vehicle, opened fire, and then fled the scene. Police are investigating the possibility that “switches,” devices that convert semi-automatic firearms into machine guns, were used in the attack.
“This is a tragedy of epic proportions,” said Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, who described gun violence in the city as reaching an “epidemic level.”
He stressed the need for a collective effort to address the issue, calling it a “community problem that requires a community solution.”
The victims, found on the sidewalk and streets, were quickly transported to local hospitals. Two men and a woman were pronounced dead at the scene, while a fourth victim, an adult male, succumbed to his injuries at the University of Alabama Hospital.
Among the injured are 11 victims, including one fatality, who were treated at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital. The conditions of the remaining victims have not been released, though at least four sustained life-threatening injuries.
The Birmingham Police Department is working closely with the FBI and other agencies to investigate the shooting. They are urging anyone with information to come forward, emphasizing the importance of community cooperation in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
This incident adds to the growing list of mass shootings in the United States, reaching at least 403 this year according to the Gun Violence Archive.
Five Points South, a popular area known for its restaurants, nightclubs, pubs, and live music venues, is located near the University of Alabama at Birmingham campus and downtown.
