On Saturday evening, there was a shooting in Birmingham’s Five Points South entertainment district. Four people were killed and at least 18 others were injured.

The authorities do not believe that this was a random hit, but rather an isolated incident in which several innocent bystanders were caught in the crossfire.

Officer Truman Fitzgerald said the shooting occurred shortly after 11 p.m. in the 2000 block of Magnolia Avenue South.

See also: A look at other mass murders in Alabama

Initial reports said clubbers were waiting in line outside Hush, a hookah and cigar lounge on Magnolia Avenue, when the shooting occurred. Witnesses said at least some of the gunfire sounded like it came from a weapon equipped with a “switch” that turns a gun into a fully automatic weapon.

“Glock switching is the biggest public safety issue in our city and state,” Mayor Randall Woodfin said on social media Sunday morning. “Converting a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic weapon that fires all bullets within seconds does not belong on our streets.”

Investigators are currently trying to confirm whether the shooters were on foot or if they were driving past, police said.

When officers from the Southern Precinct responded to the report of the shots, they learned that several people had been shot.

When they arrived at the scene, they found two men and a woman unconscious on the sidewalk.

Birmingham Fire and Emergency Services pronounced all three dead at the scene. A fourth man was pronounced dead at UAB Hospital.

Officers from across the city flocked to Five Points South as a massive cordon was erected around the chaotic scene.

Firefighters rescued eight injured people from the scene of the accident. The other victims were taken to hospitals in Birmingham.

“We have dozens of gunshot victims from this area,” Fitzgerald said. “I’ve been told that at least four of those gunshot victims are in critical condition.”

Investigators believe that several shooters fired numerous shots at a group of people on Magnolia Avenue.

No arrests were made.

Fitzgerald urged the public to provide police with any information they have about the shooting. Nearby businesses have been asked to provide police with surveillance video.

“There is no information too small,” he said. “We know this area is riddled with cameras.”

The police have enlisted the help of the federal police, said Fitzgerald.

“We have contacted our partners at the ATF and the FBI. There are a variety of law enforcement agencies assisting the Birmingham Police Department,” Fitzgerald said.

“Rest assured, we will do everything in our power to track down, identify and hunt down those responsible for the exploitation of our people,” he said.

A large police contingent had blocked the streets as hundreds of people gathered in the popular nightlife district on Saturday evening.

“It’s a beautiful Saturday night. This is one of the most popular entertainment districts in Birmingham, so you can always expect a crowd,” Fitzgerald said.

“This group of shooters shot the victims when they were outdoors,” he said. “It was on a sidewalk or a city street.”

Police working a homicide case earlier this week in nearby Brother Bryan Park, also on Magnolia Avenue, left the scene and responded to a 911 call about a large fight in the same area where Saturday’s shooting occurred.

When asked if the area was a hot spot, Fitzgerald said: “It is known to our officers as a place where people gather because there are local businesses nearby that they prefer.”

“This murder has shown us that we have a lot of resources in the form of surveillance cameras at our businesses,” he said. “If you have a business in the 2000 block of Magnolia Avenue, we need you because we know your surveillance footage captured something.”

Before this incident, there had been 118 murders in Birmingham this year. The total currently stands at 122.

Eight of these cases were judged justified, and two involved people who had been injured in previous years and died in 2024. There were 154 murders in all of Jefferson County, including 122 in Birmingham.

Alabama lawmakers have considered passing legislation banning switches like the one reportedly used in this shooting. Democratic Rep. Phillip Ensler of Montgomery is again sponsoring the bill, which would make anyone caught with a Glock switch on a handgun a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

At least two more quadruple murders have occurred in Birmingham this year.

On July 13, four people were killed and nine others injured in a drive-by shooting at an adult birthday party. On February 16, four men were killed in a drive-by shooting in the Smithfield neighborhood.

No arrests were made in connection with the mass shooting in July.

“These mass shootings have more to do with culture than crime,” Fitzgerald said. “Mayor Randall Woodfin said it best this week: We’re seeing far too many disputes being decided with bullets, and I think that’s exactly what our mayor said recently.”

The total number of murders in Birmingham fell by 6.25% in 2023. It was the first time in five years that the number of murders in the city fell after years of steady increases.

The city ended 2023 with 135 murders and 2022 with 144 murders – making it the deadliest year in Birmingham’s recent history. Birmingham’s record for murders was set in 1933 with 148 murders.

Fitzgerald thanked firefighters, public safety dispatchers and UAB Hospital staff for their work in treating those shot Saturday night.

“It shows what they’re going through,” he said. “Often the focus is on us as officers, but rarely do we get the chance to publicly thank Birmingham Fire and Rescue and UAB Hospital for the amazing work they do and the stress and trauma they cause.”

Anyone with further information is asked to call investigators at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.