Mass shooting in Alabama leaves four dead and dozens injured

Two men and a woman were pronounced dead at the scene, which is located near entertainment venues and bars near the University of Alabama at Birmingham, while a fourth victim, an adult man, died at the university's hospital. Police said during a news conference Sunday that at least 21 people were shot in total.

At least 17 people were injured. The University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital has admitted 11 of the victims, including one of the dead, the hospital confirmed to CNN. At least four of the victims of the shooting have life-threatening injuries, according to Birmingham police officer Truman Fitzgerald.

Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond said Sunday that shortly after 11 p.m. Saturday, several people drove into the Five Points South area, got out of their vehicles and started shooting. The suspects then returned to their cars and drove away.

Officials believe the shooting was a targeted “hit” on one of the dead and that the others were caught in the crossfire. The victims were all outside, either on the sidewalk or in the street, police said. As of Sunday morning, none of the suspects were in custody.

“These are 21 people whose lives have been changed forever. These are 21 families, some of which have been destroyed and some of which have just been changed,” Thurmond said. “Our deepest sympathies go out to them as we work through this.”

“Someone was willing to pay money to kill this person,” Thurmond said on CNN.

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said the shooting may have involved the use of weapon conversion devices, sometimes called “switches,” that allow a weapon to function like a machine gun.

About 100 shell casings were collected at the scene, Thurmond said.

The Birmingham Police Department is investigating in conjunction with the FBI and ATF and is asking anyone with information to come forward.

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This is the most recent mass shooting in Birmingham. According to the Gun Violence Archive, a mass shooting is an event in which at least four people are shot (not including the shooter).

In July, four people were killed and ten others injured in a shooting at a nightclub, according to local station WVRC. In February, four men were shot outside a public library in the city, according to local station WVTM.