Mass shooting in Birmingham's 5 Points South leaves four dead and dozens injured

On Saturday evening, a gun battle broke out in Birmingham's Five Points South entertainment district, leaving four people dead and at least 21 others injured.

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

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.

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

When officers from the South Precinct responded to a report of a shooting, 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 person 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.

Witnesses said many of the victims were waiting in line to get into Hush, a popular hookah and cigar lounge on Magnolia Avenue.

According to witness statements and videos shared on social media, it appears that “switches” were actually used in at least some of the shootings.

No arrests were made.

“We cannot stress enough how important it is for us to have information for this investigation,” Fitzgerald said. “We have reached out to our partners at the ATF and the FBI. There are a variety of law enforcement agencies assisting the Birmingham Police Department.”

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

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.”

A large police presence cordoned off 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 officers investigating a homicide earlier this week at 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 it was a hot spot, Fitzgerald said: “This area is known to our officers as a gathering place for people 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.

Of these, eight were judged justified and two occurred in previous years and deaths occurred in 2024. There were 154 murders in all of Jefferson County, including 122 in Birmingham.

Alabama lawmakers are considering a law to ban switches like the one reportedly used in this shooting.

Democratic Rep. Phillip Ensler of Montgomery is again sponsoring a bill that 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 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.”

Fitzgerald also mentioned the response of BFRS and UAB Hospital staff. “It shows what they are 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 as a result.”

This is a developing story and will be updated as more becomes known.

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