What we know about the mass shooting in Birmingham, Alabama

Police are searching for a group of attackers following a fatal shooting in the US city of Birmingham, Alabama on Saturday evening.

Four people were killed – three of them have already been officially identified – and 17 others were injured.

Investigators are talking about a “murder” in which several shooters were involved and who apparently had a specific person in mind.

Here's everything we know about the incident so far.

What happened?

The attack occurred shortly after 11 p.m. local time (5 a.m. CET) near Magnolia Avenue South in the Five Points South nightlife district. Local media reported it occurred as patrons were waiting in line to enter a hookah and cigar lounge.

Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond called the shooting “targeted” and not a random incident.

Several attackers are said to have gotten out of a vehicle and opened fire on a crowd in a public area before fleeing the scene.

They are accused of using “machine gun conversion devices.” Investigators say they collected about 100 cartridge cases from the crime scene, among other evidence.

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin blamed “Glock switches” – devices that can be attached to handguns to make them fire automatically – and called them the “biggest public safety problem” in the area.

Shisha lounge Hush said it was “heartbroken” that its customers were involved in the incident – which, it stressed, had nothing to do with the bar itself.

Who was killed and injured?

Among the four people killed are a woman and two men whose names were released by Birmingham police, who said they were local residents:

• Anitra Holloman, 21, from Bessemer

• Tahj Booker, 27, from Birmingham

• Carlos McCain, 27, also from Birmingham

The trio were pronounced dead at the scene by emergency services. A fourth person, who died after being taken to hospital, has not yet been officially identified.

It is assumed that the person targeted in the “attack” was among those killed, Thurmond said, but did not provide any further details as to who that person was.

The police chief said investigators had received evidence suggesting that “someone was willing to pay money to kill this person.”

Police believe that 17 other people were injured. The original number was 18. Their injuries varied in severity, some of them life-threatening. Many were taken to hospital.

Gabriel Eslami, 24, told local news channel Al.com that he was shot in the buttocks while waiting in line for the Hush Lounge and was subsequently hospitalized.

He described seeing “blood everywhere” and “dead bodies lying on the sidewalk.”

What is known about the attackers?

No arrests were made.

The search for the perpetrators continues, but little is known about them.

However, the police believe that the incident may have been a contract killing.

A reward has been offered for information leading to the suspects.

Other agencies assisted in the investigation: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI.

Further updates are expected on Monday.

What is the bigger picture?

The bloodshed came amid a wave of gun violence in Birmingham.

Another shooting in the Alabama city on Sunday evening left another person dead and at least one other injured. Police told local media they did not rule out a connection to last night's incident.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been more than 400 mass shootings in the United States so far this year. A mass shooting is defined as an incident in which four or more people are injured or killed.

The incident in Birmingham is the second mass shooting in the city in two months and the third quadruple homicide in 2024.

In July, another shooting at a nightclub left four people dead and ten injured, and in February, four men were gunned down outside a public library.