John Jefferson
Four people are dead and at least 18 others are injured following a mass shooting in Birmingham, Alabama late Saturday night.
The shooting happened in the Five Points South neighborhood, home to the University of Alabama campus and a number of bars and restaurants. Two men and one woman died at the scene, the Birmingham Police Department said. The fourth victim, an adult man, later died at a local hospital.
One of the victims has been identified as Hannah Echols, a local hospital spokesperson told CNN.
Dozens of people were injured, including four people with life-threatening wounds. Everyone injured was standing on a sidewalk or in the street, police said.
Witness Dajon Singleton told local outlet WVTM-13 the scene was “very scary.”
“I walked up when it was just ending, because everybody was screaming, there was people crying,” Singleton said.
“The grieving type screaming, like I know someone is hurt, or that passed away,” he added. “That type. That’s when I instantly knew someone lost a lost one.”
The shooting was not random and likely stemmed from “an isolated incident where multiple victims were caught in the crossfire,” Birmingham Police Officer Truman Fitzgerald said.
It’s still unclear how many shooters there were and what motivated the violence. Fitzgerald said anyone who witnessed the shooting should contact the police. There is a $5,000 reward for any tip that leads to an arrest.
“There is no greater resource than he public,” he said.
“If you were out here, if you saw anything if you heard anything, please reach out.”
They are also investigating if the shooter, or shooters, were on foot or in a car. Police have asked local businesses for their security footage. The FBI and ATF are both assisting with the investigation.
“Rest assured, we are going to do everything we possibly can to make sure that we uncover, identify and hunt down who was ever responsible for preying on our people,” Fitzgerald said.
There have been more than 400 mass shootings in the US this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
“These mass shootings have more to do with culture than they do with criminality,” Fitzgerald said. “We are seeing far too many arguments being decided by bullets.”
The Independent has contacted the Birmingham Police Department.
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