Sept. 22 (UPI) — Authorities in Birmingham, Alabama, launched an investigation Sunday after “multiple gunmen” opened fire “on a large group of people,” killing four people and 18 others.
The incident happened just after 11pm on Saturday in Five Points South, an entertainment and restaurant district. The shooting happened outside Hush, a hookah and cigar lounge.
Police said this was not a random incident and was an isolated incident.
Police say no one is in custody at this time.
Twenty-two people were shot, and while the survivors’ injuries were not life-threatening, at least four suffered life-threatening injuries.
When police arrived on the scene they found two men and one woman unconscious with gunshot wounds, two of whom were pronounced dead at the scene and the other died at hospital.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital is treating 10 victims, a spokesperson told WVTM in a statement.
Hundreds of people gathered in the nightlife district on Saturday night as police closed off roads.
“It’s a beautiful Saturday night,” said Officer Truman Fitzgerald of the Birmingham Police Department. “This is one of the most popular entertainment districts in Birmingham, so we always expect it to be busy.”
Fitzgerald said the victims were on the sidewalk and in the street when the shooting began.
Investigators are investigating whether the shooters drove by or approached on foot.
“We were just getting towards the end and people were screaming and people were crying,” Dajon Singleton told WVTM of the “very scary” situation.
Police believe a Glock switch, a machine gun conversion device, was used.
“Glock switches are the biggest public safety issue in our city and state,” Mayor Randall Woodfin posted Sunday morning on X. “Converting a semi-automatic rifle into a fully automatic weapon that fires all of its rounds within seconds has no place in our city.”
According to AL.com, Birmingham has had 122 homicides this year, including two quadruple homicides.
Birmingham saw 135 homicides in 2023 and 144 in 2022.