Alabama Mass Shooting Leaves 4 Dead, Police Investigate Possible Assassination

A mass shooting occurred in a busy nightlife district in Birmingham, Alabama, on Saturday night (September 21), resulting in the deaths of four people and injuring at least 18. The incident is being investigated as a possible assassination.

Two men and one woman were killed in the shooting on the 2000 block of Magnolia Avenue in Five Points South, near the University of Alabama at Birmingham campus. The fourth victim died at the university’s hospital, according to the Birmingham Police Department.

Police received a report of the shooting shortly after 11 p.m. on Saturday. Detectives believe the incident was not random, but rather an isolated incident involving multiple individuals exchanging gunfire.

According to the Associated Press, police suspect the shooting was a planned “assassination” of one of the victims. Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond stated that authorities believe the shooting was a targeted attack on one of the victims and may have involved paid murder.

A car drove up to the scene, and “multiple gunmen” got out and opened fire before fleeing. “We believe this was an assassination attempt on a specific individual,” Thurmond said.

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin emphasized the importance of finding the shooters and bringing them to justice. “The first priority is finding these shooters and getting them off our streets,” he said at a news conference on Sunday.

Police recovered approximately 100 shell casings at the scene. Thurmond noted that law enforcement is working to determine the types of weapons used, but they believe some of the gunfire was “fully automatic.” Investigators are also trying to determine if anyone returned fire, leading to an exchange of gunfire.

By Sunday morning, 17 people had been confirmed injured, with some suffering life-threatening injuries. The area, popular with young people due to its proximity to the University of Alabama at Birmingham and numerous restaurants and bars, was packed on Saturday night.

Alicia Rohan, a 22-year-old biomedical engineering student who lives nearby, described hearing an explosion that sounded like automatic gunfire. “I looked out the window and immediately saw people running away from the scene, screaming,” Rohan said.

As police continue to investigate, streets in the area have been blocked off. The Birmingham Police Department has contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for assistance.

Authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward, as there may be a reward available for information leading to the capture of the perpetrators.