September 2024 Birmingham shooting
| September 2024 Birmingham shooting | |
|---|---|
| Location | Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Date | September 21, 2024 c. 11:00 p.m. (CST) |
Attack type | Mass shooting |
| Weapons | Fully automatic assault weapons |
| Deaths | 4 |
| Injured | 17 |
| Perpetrators | Multiple shooters |
On September 21, 2024, four people were killed and seventeen were injured in a mass shooting at an entertainment venue in the Five Points South neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama, United States.[1][2]
The police believe that the shooting was targeted, and that the intended target is among the dead.[1]
Background
[edit]Previous shootings
[edit]The shooting was the third quadruple homicide in Birmingham in 2024. In February, four men were killed in a drive-by shooting near a car wash.[3] In July, four were killed and ten were injured in a drive-by shooting at a birthday party hosted by a nightclub,[4][5] which at the time, was the city's largest mass shooting in 2024.
Five Points South neighborhood
[edit]Located south of the city's downtown, Five Points South is home to the University of Alabama at Birmingham campus, an area with a mix of restaurants, and a busy nightlife hub, with many pubs and live music spots clustered on 20th Street South.[6]
Shooting
[edit]Just after 11 p.m., multiple shooters in a vehicle approached a bar full of people in queue outside, exited the vehicle to open fire, and then drove away. Police responded to calls about the shooting, and found two men and a woman unconscious, who were pronounced dead at the scene. A man being treated in the hospital later died. Seventeen others were wounded, with four suffering life-threatening wounds.[7] Around 100 shell casings were recovered from the scene and it is suspected that Glocks equipped with glock switches may have been used in the attack.[8][9]
Victims
[edit]Three of the four victims were identified as Anitra Holloman, 21; Tahj Booker, 27; and Carlos McCain, 27. The fourth victim who died in the hospital was identified as Roderick Lynn Patterson Jr., 26.[10][11] Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond said that "some of the victims that were killed had extensive criminal histories", but he also added that he believed many of those shot were "collateral damage".[12] Thurmond did not say which victim or victims may have been targeted, but two of the dead were implicated in previous killings.[13]
Suspects
[edit]According to law enforcement, the shooting was perpetrated by "multiple shooters" who drove off after the shooting. Investigators believe that they were paid to commit the attack and that one or more individuals were the intended targets.[1]
Reactions
[edit]At a news conference, Randall Woodfin, the mayor of Birmingham, stated that the city was being particularly affected by an epidemic of gun violence in the United States.[14] Mayor Woodfin later called on citizens who had information to come forward about the case saying that if they did not come forward that they "are as responsible for the person or the people that pull the triggers".[15]
The Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) offered $50,000 USD reward each, totaling $100,000 USD, for helping to find the suspects in the attack, the largest in the former's history, leading to a surge of tips about the case.[13]
Mayor Woodfin called on the Alabama Legislature to make glock switches, which are illegal under federal law, also illegal under state law. State Representatives Phillip Ensler, Allen Treadaway, Russell Bedsole, Travis Hendrix, and Rex Reynolds prefiled a bill that would make it so that individuals who knowingly have firearms that have a part or parts attached to them that can convert the pistol into a fully automatic weapon that can fire multiple rounds in a short period can be charged with a Class C felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. House speaker pro tempore Chris Pringle said that Mayor Woodfin was trying to blame the legislature and that they were "not responsible for most of these issues".[9]
On September 26, Mayor Woodfin and Representative Terri Sewell, who represents the area, visited the White House for an executive order signing ceremony with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The executive order is designed to target trigger switches by creating a task force which will issue a report in 90 days about the federal government's capacity to detect and seize the devices, as well as an effort to address the trauma caused by active shooter drills in schools. Representative Sewell said of trigger switches that, "Machine gun converters like the one used in Saturday night’s mass shooting are designed for one purpose — mass killing."[16][17]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Afshar, Paradise; Mascarenhas, Lauren; Razek, Raja (September 22, 2024). "At least 4 killed and 'dozens' injured in shooting at popular entertainment area in Birmingham, Alabama, police say". CNN.
- ^ "Four dead and 18 hurt in Alabama mass shooting". British Broadcasting Corporation News. September 22, 2024. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
- ^ Robinson, Carol (February 17, 2024). "Birmingham shooting kills 4 lifelong friends: 'Something special about him,' one victim's family says". AL.com. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ Robinson, Carol (July 14, 2024). "4 killed, 10 wounded in drive-by shooting at adult birthday party at Birmingham social club". al.com. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
- ^ Robinson, Carol (September 22, 2024). "Mass shooting in Birmingham's 5 Points South leaves 4 dead, 18 injured". AL.com. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
- ^ "Five Points South Historic District". Sweet Home Alabama. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
- ^ Taft, Isabelle; Zhuang, Yan (September 22, 2024). "4 Killed in Shooting Near University of Alabama at Birmingham". The New York Times. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
- ^ Kim Chandler (September 23, 2024). "Alabama mass shooting: Search underway for suspects after 4 killed, 17 injured". CTV News via Associated Press. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
- ^ a b Chapoco, Ralph (September 24, 2024). "Birmingham mass shooting leads to calls for state ban on 'Glock switches'". Alabama Reflector. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
- ^ Kim Chandler and Safiyah Riddle (September 23, 2024). "Birmingham, Alabama, leaders plead for information on mass shooting and announce reward money". Associated Press. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
- ^ Kim Chandler (September 23, 2024). "Search underway for suspects in Alabama mass shooting that killed 4 and injured 17". CTV News via Associated Press. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
- ^ Li, David K. (September 23, 2024). "Alabama mass shooting victims may have been targeted in murder-for-hire plot, police say". NBC News. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
- ^ a b Robinson, Carol (September 24, 2024). "Largest Crime Stoppers reward ever driving tips in Birmingham mass shooting investigation". al.com. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
- ^ Taft, Isabelle; Zhuang, Yan (September 22, 2024). "4 Killed in Shooting Near University of Alabama at Birmingham". The New York Times. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
- ^ "'Do your part': Birmingham mayor urges anyone with information about mass shooting to step up". WBRC. September 24, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
- ^ Hagan, Victor (September 26, 2024). "U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell applauds Biden executive order after Birmingham mass shooting". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
- ^ Sharp, John (September 26, 2024). "Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin to be at White House for Glock switch executive order". al.com. Retrieved September 26, 2024.