Four people were killed and at least 18 others injured in a mass shooting in Birmingham, Alabama, on Saturday night.
The shooting occurred in the Five Points South neighborhood, home to the University of Alabama campus and several bars and restaurants. Two men and a woman died at the scene, Birmingham police said. The fourth victim, an adult male, died later at a local hospital.
One of the victims has been identified as Hannah Echols, a spokesperson for the local hospital told CNN.
Dozens of people were injured, including four with life-threatening injuries. Everyone who was injured was standing on the sidewalk or in the street, police said.
Witness Dajon Singleton told local news site WVTM-13 that the scene was “very scary.”
“I walked upstairs just as it was ending because everyone was screaming and there were people crying,” Singleton said.
“The grieving type, screaming, like I know someone's hurt, or they've passed away,” he added. “That type. That's when I knew right away that someone had lost someone.”
The shooting was not random and likely the result of “an isolated incident where multiple victims were caught in the crossfire,” Birmingham Police Officer Truman Fitzgerald said.
It is still unclear how many shooters there were and what motivated the violence. Fitzgerald said anyone who witnessed the shooting should contact police. There is a $5,000 reward for any tip that leads to an arrest.
“There is no greater resource than the public,” he said.
“If you were here, if you saw or heard anything, please get in touch.”
They are also investigating whether the shooter, or shooters, were on foot or in a car. Police have asked local businesses for their security footage. The FBI and ATF are both assisting with the investigation.
“Rest assured, we will do everything we can to ensure that we track down, identify and apprehend the individual responsible for the exploitation of our people,” Fitzgerald said.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been more than 400 mass shootings in the US this year.
“These mass shootings have more to do with culture than they do with criminality,” Fitzgerald said. “We see far too many discussions being decided by bullets.”
