Search for several armed men intensifies

Alabama state lawmakers pushed to enact a state ban on these devices, but that effort failed in the last legislative session.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are assisting local police in the investigation. Authorities urged witnesses to come forward and offered a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest, authorities said.

The incident is the latest shooting to rock Birmingham this year. In July, four people died in a shooting at a nightclub. That same month, three people were killed in a shooting, including a five-year-old child.

“This senseless violence is unacceptable and must stop,” said Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Selma) of Alabama in a statement about Saturday's shooting. “We as elected officials at every level of government must do everything in our power to break the cycle of violence, get dangerous weapons off our streets and make our communities safer.”