Police Investigate Potential ‘Murder-for-Hire’ Motive Behind Alabama Mass Shooting

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — In a tragic event on Saturday night, four individuals lost their lives and 17 others sustained injuries due to a mass shooting in the city’s bustling Five Points South entertainment district. The incident occurred shortly after 11 p.m., shocking a community already grappling with rising gun violence.

This particular shooting is reported to have been a targeted attack, potentially linked to a murder-for-hire scenario. Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond indicated that the attackers arrived in a vehicle, exited, and opened fire indiscriminately before fleeing the scene. About 100 shell casings were collected from the site, suggesting a significant barrage of gunfire.

Emergency responders found three victims on the sidewalk, while a fourth was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Among the 17 injured, some are reported to be in critical condition. Those being treated at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital range in their health status from good to critical.

Civilians at the scene described a chaotic atmosphere. Witness Gabriel Eslami, waiting in line to enter Hush, the lounge where the shooting occurred, recounted the horror as gunfire erupted, prompting him to flee. “It looked like something from a horror movie,” he stated, noting that he only realized he had been shot after feeling numbness in his leg.

Another witness, 22-year-old Geoffrey Boshell, remarked on the disturbing nature of the incident occurring so close to home. He heard rapid gunfire and immediately saw people panic and flee the area, highlighting the unsettling reality of gun violence cutting through community safety.

This shooting marks the 31st mass killing in the U.S. this year, with three of those taking place in Birmingham. Mayor Randall Woodfin expressed deep frustration over the ongoing epidemic of gun violence, stressing the need for enhanced legislative measures to tackle the issue. He urged state and federal officials to equip cities with better tools to address this crisis, pointing to Alabama’s recent firearms regulations as a contributing factor to the increase in violence.

“The city of Birmingham finds itself at the tip of that spear in what is an American epidemic,” Woodfin stated, addressing the urgent need for legislative reform to combat the growing threat posed by firearms in urban environments.