- Birmingham, Alabama, police officers have opened an investigation to find those responsible and clarify the facts | Photo: Birmingham Police Department
Four people were killed and 18 others injured after several shooters opened fire in the Five Points South area, one of the most popular entertainment venues in Birmingham, Alabama (United States).
“Multiple shooters fired multiple shots at a group of people late Saturday (Sept. 21),” Birmingham Police Officer Truman Fitzgerald said.
According to the Birmingham Police Department, when officers arrived at the scene, they found the unconscious bodies of two men and a woman at the scene, all of whom were pronounced dead at the scene.
The fourth victim is an adult male who was pronounced dead at the University of Alabama Hospital from gunshot wounds.
Police opened investigations
The Birmingham Police Department said investigators believe the shooting was not random, but rather an isolated incident in which several victims were caught in the crossfire. Detectives are working to determine exactly who was targeted.
Fitzgerald said detectives are investigating whether the gunmen approached the victims on foot or drove by. No suspects have been arrested so far.
The police force is reportedly in talks to partner with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other agencies to investigate the details of the case. They urged people with information to come forward.
“Rest assured that we will do everything possible to ensure that we uncover, identify and hunt down those responsible for attacking our people,” Fitzgerald said.
Authorities have asked businesses in the area to provide any surveillance equipment they may have.
Victims of the shooting
The Five Points South district is a bustling area known for its restaurants, nightclubs, pubs and live music venues near the University of Alabama campus.
Witnesses who were queuing outside a hookah and cigar lounge on Magnolia Avenue at the time told the local news site Al.com that some of the shots sounded like they were coming from a weapon modified to be fully automatic.
Truman Fitzgerald said more gunshot victims were identified in the area and that other wounded people were transported to local hospitals. At least four of them have serious, life-threatening injuries.
The University of Alabama Hospital in Birmingham received at least 11 of the victims, including one of the people who died, according to the statement CNN Hannah Echols, a hospital spokeswoman.
Shootings in the United States
So far this year, there have been 403 mass shootings in the United States, defined as those involving at least four victims, dead or injured, according to the non-governmental organization (NGO) Gun Violence Archive.
In total, 12,416 people have died in 2024 in acts of violence with firearms and another 23,741 were injured. Of the number of dead and injured, at least 1,033 and 2,807, respectively, were children or adolescents.
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2024-09-23 12:17:12