‘Grieving-Type Screaming’: 4 Dead in Alabama Shooting Called a ‘Hit’
Police say gunmen rolled up in a vehicle at around 11 p.m. and fired into a crowd in a popular area of shops, bars and restaurants in Birmingham.
At Least 4 People Dead
At least four people were killed, more than a dozen were wounded and an intensive search was underway Sunday in Birmingham, Alabama, for gunmen who fired into a crowd in the city’s entertainment district in what the police chief described as a “hit.”
17 People Wounded
Chief Scott Thurmond said two men and a woman died at the scene Saturday night and an additional person died a short time later at a local hospital. He said about 17 people were wounded. First responders rushed some of them to hospitals while others traveled to hospitals around the city on their own.
”Gunmen Rolled Up in Vehicle”
Thurmond said the gunmen rolled up in a vehicle at around 11 p.m., got out, and fired into the crowd on the streets in the Five Points South district, a popular area of shops, bars, and restaurants. The shooters then fled the scene, where more than 100 shell casings were found, he said.
The victims included the person who was targeted, he said, but added that he did not know the motive for the killing.
“We believe there was a hit, if you will, on that particular person,” he said.
$5,000 Reward Offered for Help in Finding The Killers
Thurmond said no arrests had been made and investigators were viewing video surveillance recordings for clues. Over 100 shell casings were recovered, Thurmond added.
The FBI and ATF were assisting in the investigation.
Thurmon urged the public to provide any information they might have. Tips leading to an arrest could pay up to $5,000, authorities said.
“It’s going to take everyone to work together to get these individuals off the streets who inflicted this carnage on our city last night,” Thurmond said. “No one in our city wants these people on our streets.”
Witness Hears Chilling Cries
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said a Glock “switch” had been used that converts semiautomatic handguns into automatic weapons.
“This is not the first occasion, unfortunately, in 2024 where we’ve seen the style of weapons, the number of bullets on the scene, … for automatic weapons being used in our streets,” Woodfin said.
Article by John Bacon
