What we know about the mass shooting in Birmingham, Alabama

In Birmingham, Alabama, a tragic mass shooting occurred on Saturday night, leaving four people dead and 17 others injured. The incident took place around Magnolia Avenue South, a popular nightlife area. The police are currently searching for a group of attackers believed to be involved in this violent act. Investigators have described the shooting as a 'hit,' indicating that it was aimed at a specific individual rather than being a random act of violence. Here is what we know about the situation so far. The shooting happened just after 11 PM local time, as people were waiting in line to enter a hookah and cigar lounge. Birmingham police chief Scott Thurmond characterized the attack as 'targeted,' suggesting that the shooters had a particular person in mind when they opened fire. Witnesses reported that several attackers exited a vehicle and began shooting at a crowd in a public area before fleeing the scene. The police have collected around 100 shell casings from the site, which are the empty bullet cases left behind after the shooting. Mayor Randall Woodfin of Birmingham pointed to the use of 'Glock switches' in the incident. These devices can be attached to handguns to make them fire automatically, and the mayor labeled them as the 'number one public safety issue' in the area. The hookah lounge, known as Hush, expressed their heartbreak over the incident, emphasizing that it had nothing to do with their establishment. Among the four individuals who lost their lives, three have been identified by the Birmingham police. They are Anitra Holloman, a 21-year-old from Bessemer, and two men, Tahj Booker and Carlos McCain, both 27 years old and from Birmingham. Emergency officials pronounced them dead at the scene. The fourth victim, who died after being taken to the hospital, has not yet been formally identified. The police chief mentioned that the person who was targeted in the 'hit' was likely among those who were killed, but he did not disclose the identity of that individual. Investigators have received information suggesting that someone was willing to pay to have that person killed. The police reported that 17 others were injured in the shooting, revising an earlier figure of 18. The injuries varied in severity, with some being life-threatening. Many of the injured were transported to local hospitals for treatment. A 24-year-old man named Gabriel Eslami shared his experience with a local news outlet, stating that he was shot in the buttocks while waiting in line for the Hush lounge. He described the scene as chaotic, with 'blood everywhere' and 'people's bodies laid out on the pavement. ' As of now, no arrests have been made, and the search for the attackers continues. The police believe that the incident may be linked to a murder-for-hire plot. A reward has been offered for information leading to the suspects. Other agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, are assisting with the investigation. More updates are expected in the coming days. This shooting is part of a troubling trend of gun violence in Birmingham. Just the following evening, another shooting occurred in the city, resulting in one more death and at least one additional injury. Police have stated that they are not ruling out a connection between this incident and the previous night's shooting. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been over 400 mass shootings in the United States this year, defined as incidents where four or more people are injured or killed. The Birmingham shooting marks the second mass shooting in the city within a two-month span and the third quadruple homicide of 2024. Earlier this year, a nightclub shooting in July resulted in four deaths and ten injuries, while in February, four men were shot outside a public library.