Mass shooting kills 4 and wounds 17 in nightlife district in Birmingham, Alabama

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Four people were killed and 17 others injured when multiple shooters opened fire Saturday in what police described as a targeted “hit” on one of the people killed at a popular nightlife spot in Birmingham, Alabama.

The shooting happened shortly after 11 p.m. Saturday in Five Points South, a district filled with entertainment venues, restaurants and bars that is often crowded on weekend nights. The mass shooting, one of several this year in the city, unnerved residents in the area and left city officials pleading for help to both solve the crime and address the broader problem of gun violence.

“The priority is to find these shooters and get them off our streets,” Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said at a Sunday press conference.

The shooting occurred on the sidewalk and street outside Hush, a hookah and cigar lounge, in the entertainment district. Blood stains were visible on the sidewalk outside the venue on Sunday morning.

Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond said authorities believe the shooting targeted one of the people who was killed, possibly in a murder-for-hire. He said a vehicle pulled up and "multiple shooters" got out and began firing, then fled the scene.

“We believe that there was a ‘hit,’ if you will, on that particular person,” Thurmond said.

Police said approximately 100 shell casings were recovered at the scene. Thurmond said law enforcement was working to determine what weapons were used, but they believe some of the gunfire was “fully automatic.” Investigators were also trying to determine whether anyone fired back, creating crossfire.

Police said officers found two men and a woman on a sidewalk with gunshot wounds and they were pronounced dead there. An additional male gunshot victim was pronounced dead at a hospital, according to police.

By early Sunday, after victims began showing up at hospitals, police had identified 17 people with injuries, some of them life-threatening. Four of the surviving victims, in conditions ranging from good to critical, were being treated at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital on Sunday afternoon, according to Alicia Rohan, a UAB spokeswoman.

The area of Birmingham is popular with young adults because of its proximity to the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the plethora of nearby restaurants and bars.

Geoffrey Boshell, a 22-year-old biomedical engineering student who lives nearby, said he was working on a school project when he heard a burst of rapid pops that he said sounded like automatic gunfire.

“I heard it, looked out my window and immediately see people screaming, fleeing the scene,” Boshell said.

The shooting in the bustling and popular area was unnerving, he said. “I’m not sure scared is the right word. Just very disturbed that it was happening right outside where you are living.”

Ashton Mills, 24, who lives in a nearby apartment complex, was headed to work Saturday night when she heard a “bunch of popping sounds.”

“It’s scary, especially as a single woman walking around the city,” she said. “I’m definitely a lot more on guard.”

Woodfin expressed frustration at what he described as an epidemic of gun violence in America.

“We find ourselves in 2024, where gun violence is at an epidemic level, an epidemic crisis in our country. And the city of Birmingham, unfortunately finds itself at the tip of that spear,” he said.

The Birmingham mayor also urged state and federal officials to give cities more tools to address gun violence. He put both hands behind his back to illustrate what it is like for cities to combat crime. Alabama last year abolished the requirement to get a permit to carry a concealed handgun in public.

Woodfun said there is an “element” in the city that is too comfortable carrying Glock switches — which convert semi-automatic handguns to deliver more rapid fire — and assault-style rifles with the intent of doing harm.

“Elected officials locally, statewide and nationally have a duty to solve this American crisis, this American epidemic of gun violence,” the mayor said.

Associated Press writer Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed to this report.

CORRECTS DATE hat appears to be a bullet hole is visible in the window of Hush, a hookah and cigar lounge, in Birmingham, Ala. on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, the day after a mass shooting took place. (AP Photo/Kim Chandler)

Blood stains were visible on the sidewalk outside of a nightclub in Birmingham, Ala. on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, after a mass shooting took place. (AP Photo/Kim Chandler)

A firefighter cleans blood stains off the sidewalk outside a nightclub in Birmingham, Ala. on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, after a mass shooting took place. (AP Photo/Kim Chandler)

The scene of a fatal Saturday night shooting near Hush, a hookah lounge, in the Five Points neighborhood of Birmingham, Ala., Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)

Drops of blood remain at the scene of a fatal Saturday night shooting in the Five Points neighborhood of Birmingham, Ala., Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)

The scene of a fatal Saturday night shooting outside Hush, a hookah lounge, in the Five Points neighborhood of Birmingham, Ala., Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)

This image provided by WBMA shows police tape near the scene of a shooting in Birmingham, Ala., Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (Bill Castle/WBMA via AP)

This image provided by WBMA shows police working on the scene of a shooting in Birmingham, Ala., Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (Bill Castle/WBMA via AP)

This image provided by WBMA shows police and emergency vehicles in the entertainment district after a shooting in Birmingham, Ala., Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (Bill Castle/WBMA via AP)

This image provided by WBMA shows bystanders near the scene of a shooting in Birmingham, Ala., Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (Bill Castle/WBMA via AP)

MILAN (AP) — A turbulent week for Roma ended with the team’s first win of the season and a superb start for new coach Ivan Jurić.

Artem Dovbyk's first-half goal and Paulo Dybala's penalty at the start of the second period set Roma on its way before Tommaso Baldanzi secured the 3-0 win in the team’s first match since the surprise dismissal of Daniele De Rossi on Wednesday.

There was another eagerly anticipated match later Sunday, with Inter Milan bidding for what would be a record seventh straight derby victory over AC Milan, whose new coach Paulo Fonseca is already under pressure.

Many Roma fans were unhappy with the decision to fire De Rossi and a lot of their anger had been directed at CEO and general manager Lina Souloukou, who resigned earlier Sunday.

The Curva Sud — where Roma’s staunchest fans sit — was empty for the first half hour amid a fan protest, with a large banner displayed that read: “You do not respect our values and our icons, from today we go back to the old ways.”

There were also many banners around the stadium in support of De Rossi.

On the field, Roma dominated from the start against an Udinese team that had started the weekend top of Serie A.

The first goal of the Jurić era came in the 19th minute as Dovbyk raced onto Stephan El Shaarawy’s through ball and fired into the far bottom corner.

Roma had further chances before, straight after the interval, Dybala went sprawling over Jaka Bijol’s outstretched leg and converted the resulting penalty powerfully into the top right corner.

Substitute Baldanzi capped a dream debut for Jurić with his first goal for the club since joining from Empoli in February. The Italy Under-21 international, who had only come on seconds earlier, cut inside from the left and played a one-two with Dovbyk before firing the ball past Maduka Okoye.

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Udinese's Christian Kabasele, top, and AS Roma's Lorenzo Pellegrini vie for the ball during the Serie A soccer match between AS Roma and Udinese at the Olympic stadium in Rome, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (Fabrizio Corradetti/LaPresse via AP)

FILE - Roma's head coach Daniele De Rossi waits for the start of the Europa League second leg semi-final soccer match between Leverkusen and Roma at the BayArena in Leverkusen, Germany, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)

AS Roma's Tommaso Baldanzi celebrates after scoring goal 3-0 during the Serie A soccer match between AS Roma and Udinese at the Olympic stadium in Rome, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (Fabrizio Corradetti/LaPresse via AP)