4 killed and 18 injured in a mass shooting in Birmingham, according to Alabama police

A shooting in Birmingham, Alabama, left four people dead and eighteen more injured, according to authorities on Sunday.

Authorities in the Five Points South neighborhood said they think several suspects opened fire on a sizable gathering of persons who were gathered outside close to Magnolia Avenue. No sooner had the gunshots ended than 11 p.m. CST.

According to Police Chief Scott Thurmond, a number of persons pulled up in a car, got out, and started shooting before getting back in the car to leave the scene. Along with the four fatalities, a total of twenty-one individuals were shot.

Thurmond stated that after a preliminary investigation, police thought the shooters were aiming for a single person, but the chief would not provide the identity of any suspects.

"We believe there was a hit, if you will, on that particular person as far as someone willing to pay money to have that person killed," Thurmond said.

That person, who the authorities did not identify, was one of the victims of the shooting. Thurmond continued, saying that the investigators think it's possible the gunmen used an illegal fully automatic weapon.

Thurmond assured the public that anyone with information can provide tips in confidence and urged them to come forward.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms were both involved in the investigation, according to the police. They have requested that anyone with information report tips anonymously to Crime Stoppers or get in touch with the Birmingham Police Department's homicide section. Police said the latter may offer up to $5,000 in tips.

According to Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, it's conceivable that illicit gun conversion devices, often known as "switches," were used in the massacre. These gadgets have the ability to take over a gun's trigger mechanism and turn it into a machine gun.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives claims that conversion devices "can convert semi-automatic pistols and rifles into fully automatic weapons in less than 60 seconds."

The University of Alabama at Birmingham campus is situated in the Five Points South neighborhood, a popular destination for nightlife in the city that attracts sizable crowds on weekends thanks to its abundance of eateries, clubs, and live music venues.