September 2024 Birmingham shooting

{{Infobox civilian attack

| title = September 2024 Birmingham shooting

| location = Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.

| coordinates = {{Coord|33|30|04.8|N|86|47|46.1|W|}}

| map = {{OSM Location map

|coord = {{Coord|33|30|04.8|N|86|47|46.1|W|}}

|float = center

|zoom = 8

|width = 300

|height = 220

|scalemark = 40

|mark-coord1 = {{Coord|33|30|04.8|N|86|47|46.1|W|}}

|fullscreen-option = 1

}}

| image =

| caption = The location of the shooting, the Hush Lounge, seen in daytime on September 23

| date = {{start date and age |2024|09|21}}

| time = c. 11:00 p.m.

| timezone = CDT

| target =

| type = Mass shooting

| weapons = Fully automatic assault weapons

| fatalities = 4

| injuries = 17

| victims =

| perpetrators =

| perpetrator =

| accused = Damien McDaniel

| charges = Capital murder

| motive = Under investigation (contract killing suspected)

}}

On September 21, 2024, four people were killed and seventeen were injured in a mass shooting at an entertainment venue in the Five Points South neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama, United States.{{Cite news |last1=Afshar|first1=Paradise|last2=Mascarenhas|first2=Lauren|last3=Razek|first3=Raja|date=September 22, 2024|url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/22/us/birmingham-alabama-shooting-five-points-south/index.html |title=At least 4 killed and 'dozens' injured in shooting at popular entertainment area in Birmingham, Alabama, police say|website=CNN }}{{Cite news |last=Debusmann |first=Bernd Jr |date=22 September 2024 |title=Four dead and 18 hurt in Alabama mass shooting |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2k9gl6g49o?at_format=link&at_bbc_team=editorial |accessdate=22 September 2024 |publisher=BBC News}}

The police believe that the shooting was targeted, and that the intended target is among the dead.

Background

=Previous shootings=

The shooting was the third quadruple homicide in Birmingham in 2024. In February, four men were killed in a drive-by shooting near a car wash.{{cite web |last=Robinson |first=Carol |title=Birmingham shooting kills 4 lifelong friends: 'Something special about him,' one victim's family says |url=https://www.al.com/news/2024/02/birmingham-shooting-kills-4-lifelong-friends-something-special-about-him-one-victims-family-says.html |website=AL.com |access-date=February 17, 2024 |date=February 17, 2024}} In July, four were killed and ten were injured in a drive-by shooting at a birthday party hosted by a nightclub,{{cite web |last1=Robinson |first1=Carol |date=July 14, 2024 |title=4 killed, 10 wounded in drive-by shooting at adult birthday party at Birmingham social club |url=https://www.al.com/news/2024/07/4-killed-9-wounded-in-drive-by-shooting-at-adult-birthday-party-at-birmingham-social-club.html |access-date=July 14, 2024 |website=al.com}}{{cite web |last1=Robinson |first1=Carol |title=Mass shooting in Birmingham's 5 Points South leaves 4 dead, 18 injured |url=https://www.al.com/news/2024/09/shooting-in-birminghams-5-points-south-may-have-mass-casualties-police-say.html |website=AL.com |access-date=September 22, 2024 |date=September 22, 2024}} which at the time, was the city's largest mass shooting in 2024.

=Five Points South neighborhood=

Located south of the city's downtown, Five Points South is home to the University of Alabama at Birmingham campus, an area with a mix of restaurants, and a busy nightlife hub, with many pubs and live music spots clustered on 20th Street South.{{Cite web |title=Five Points South Historic District |url=https://alabama.travel/places-to-go/five-points-south-historic-district |access-date=September 23, 2024 |publisher=Sweet Home Alabama |language=en}}

Shooting

Just after 11 p.m., multiple shooters in a vehicle approached Hush, a hookah and cigar lounge on Magnolia Avenue with a queue outside, exited the vehicle to open fire, and then drove away.{{Cite news |last=Lang |first=Taylor |last2=Conlon |first2=Riley |date=October 10, 2024 |title=THE LATEST: Updates on the Birmingham, Alabama September mass shooting |url=https://www.wvtm13.com/article/mass-shooting-alabama-birmingham-live-updates/62331851 |access-date=October 10, 2024 |work=WVTM |publisher= |language=en}} Police responded to calls about the shooting, and found two men and a woman unconscious; they were pronounced dead at the scene. A man being treated in the hospital later died. Seventeen others were wounded, with four suffering life-threatening wounds.{{cite web |last2=Zhuang |first2=Yan |last1=Taft |first1=Isabelle |title=4 Killed in Shooting Near University of Alabama at Birmingham |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/22/us/shooting-birmingham-alabama.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=September 22, 2024 |date=September 22, 2024}} Around 100 shell casings were recovered from the scene and it is suspected that Glocks equipped with Glock switches may have been used in the attack.{{Cite web |last=Chandler |first=Kim |last2=Riddle |first2=Safiyah |date=2024-09-23 |title=Birmingham, Alabama, leaders plead for information on mass shooting and announce reward money |url=https://apnews.com/article/mass-shooting-birmingham-alabama-ca21a844e8363ddc8b38c89964194953 |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=AP News |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Chapoco |first=Ralph |date=September 24, 2024 |title=Birmingham mass shooting leads to calls for state ban on 'Glock switches' |url=https://alabamareflector.com/2024/09/24/birmingham-mass-shooting-leads-to-calls-for-state-ban-on-glock-switches/ |access-date=September 26, 2024 |work=Alabama Reflector}}

Victims

Three of the four victims were identified as Anitra Holloman, 21; Tahj Booker, 27; and Carlos McCain, 27. The fourth victim who died in the hospital was identified as Roderick Lynn Patterson Jr., 26. Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond said that "some of the victims that were killed had extensive criminal histories", but he also added that he believed many of those shot were "collateral damage".{{Cite news |last=Li |first=David K. |date=September 23, 2024 |title=Alabama mass shooting victims may have been targeted in murder-for-hire plot, police say |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/alabama-mass-shooting-victims-may-targeted-murder-hire-plot-police-say-rcna172224 |access-date=September 24, 2024 |work=NBC News}} Thurmond did not say which victim or victims may have been targeted, but two of the dead were implicated in previous killings.{{Cite news |last=Robinson |first=Carol |date=September 24, 2024 |title=Largest Crime Stoppers reward ever driving tips in Birmingham mass shooting investigation |url=https://www.al.com/news/2024/09/largest-crime-stoppers-reward-ever-driving-tips-in-birmingham-mass-shooting-investigation.html |access-date=September 25, 2024 |work=al.com}}

Accused

According to law enforcement, the shooting was perpetrated by "multiple shooters" who drove off after the shooting. Investigators believe that they were paid to commit the attack and that one or more people were the intended targets. In October 2024, a suspect, 22-year-old Damien McDaniel, was arrested and charged with capital murder for the shooting. He is also charged with murder and capital murder for two other fatal shootings that occurred on September 19 and 22, respectively.{{cite news|url=https://www.al.com/news/2024/10/suspect-arrested-in-birminghams-5-points-south-mass-shooting-allegedly-killed-6-people-in-3-days.html|title=

Suspect arrested in Birmingham's 5 Points South mass shooting allegedly killed 6 people in 3 days|last=Robinson|first=Carol|work=AL.com|date=October 17, 2024|accessdate=October 18, 2024}} In November 2024, McDaniel was charged with two additional shooting incidents, one of which was another mass shooting at a Birmingham nightclub on July 13 that killed four and injured ten. The other shooting he is charged with was the murder of a man during a burglary on August 13. In February 2025, McDaniel was charged with three more homicides, one of which was a firefighter in 2023, while the others were in early 2024.{{cite news|url=https://www.al.com/crime/2025/02/damien-mcdaniel-charged-with-3-more-murders-in-deaths-of-birmingham-firefighter-ups-worker-21-year-old-woman.html|title=Damien McDaniel charged with 3 more murders in deaths of Birmingham firefighter, UPS worker, 21-year-old woman|last=Robinson|first=Carol|agency=AL.com|date=February 25, 2025|accessdate=February 26, 2025}} In total, McDaniel has been accused of 14 murders over the span of 14 months. The crime spree also left 30 others injured.{{cite news|url=https://www.al.com/crime/2025/02/damien-mcdaniels-alleged-victims-14-birmingham-homicides-in-14-months.html|title=Damien McDaniel’s alleged victims: 14 Birmingham homicides in 14 months|last=Robinson|first=Carol|agency=AL.com|date=February 25, 2025|accessdate=February 26, 2025}}{{cite news|url=https://www.al.com/news/2024/11/hush-massacre-suspect-now-charged-with-killing-5-others-in-birmingham-mass-shooting-burglary.html|title=2 arrested in July Birmingham mass shooting: 1 suspect accused of killing 11 people in 2 months|last=Robinson|first=Carol|work=AL.com|date=November 26, 2024|accessdate=November 27, 2024}}{{cite news|url=https://www.wvtm13.com/article/alabama-birmingham-mass-shooting-murder-mcdaniel/63025322|title=Man facing charges for at least 11 murders in Birmingham mass shootings, homicides|last=Delcambre|first=Shannon|work=WVTM-TV|date=November 26, 2024|accessdate=November 27, 2024}}

McDaniel had previously been sentenced to 15 years in prison on two counts of attempted murder after he shot at an occupied car in 2019 when he was 17 years old.[https://www.cbs42.com/news/crime/timeline-of-all-the-murder-cases-damien-mcdaniel-is-charged-with-in-birmingham/ Timeline of all the murder cases Damien McDaniel is charged with in Birmingham], WIAT, February 25, 2025

Reactions

At a news conference, Randall Woodfin, the mayor of Birmingham, stated that the city was being particularly affected by an epidemic of gun violence in the United States.{{cite news|last1=Taft|first1=Isabelle|last2=Zhuang|first2=Yan|date=September 22, 2024|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/22/us/shooting-birmingham-alabama.html|title=4 Killed in Shooting Near University of Alabama at Birmingham|work=The New York Times|access-date=September 22, 2024}} Mayor Woodfin later called on citizens who had information to come forward about the case saying that if they did not come forward that they "are as responsible for the person or the people that pull the triggers".{{Cite news |date=September 24, 2024 |title='Do your part': Birmingham mayor urges anyone with information about mass shooting to step up |url=https://www.wbrc.com/2024/09/24/do-your-part-birmingham-mayor-urges-anyone-with-information-about-mass-shooting-step-up/ |access-date=September 25, 2024 |work=WBRC}}

The Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) offered $50,000 USD reward each, totaling $100,000 USD, for helping to find the suspects in the attack, the largest in the former's history, leading to a surge of tips about the case.

File:President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at an Executive Order signing to expand federal actions on gun violence prevention (54025963205).jpg survivor Sari Kaufman speaks on September 26, 2024.]]

Mayor Woodfin called on the Alabama Legislature to make glock switches, which are illegal under federal law, also illegal under state law. State Representatives Phillip Ensler, Allen Treadaway, Russell Bedsole, Travis Hendrix, and Rex Reynolds prefiled a bill that would make it so that individuals who knowingly have firearms that have a part or parts attached to them that can convert the pistol into a fully automatic weapon that can fire multiple rounds in a short period can be charged with a Class C felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. House speaker pro tempore Chris Pringle said that Mayor Woodfin was trying to blame the legislature and that they were "not responsible for most of these issues".

On September 26, Mayor Woodfin and Representative Terri Sewell, who represents the area, visited the White House for an executive order signing ceremony with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The executive order is designed to target trigger switches by creating a task force which will issue a report in 90 days about the federal government's capacity to detect and seize the devices, as well as an effort to address the trauma caused by active shooter drills in schools. Representative Sewell said of trigger switches that, "Machine gun converters like the one used in Saturday night’s mass shooting are designed for one purpose — mass killing."{{Cite news |last=Hagan |first=Victor |date=September 26, 2024 |title=U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell applauds Biden executive order after Birmingham mass shooting |url=https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/politics/legislature/2024/09/26/terri-sewell-applauds-biden-executive-order-after-birmingham-shooting/75394516007/ |access-date=September 26, 2024 |work=Montgomery Advertiser}}{{Cite news |last=Sharp |first=John |date=September 26, 2024 |title=Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin to be at White House for Glock switch executive order |url=https://www.al.com/news/2024/09/birmingham-mayor-randall-woodfin-to-be-at-white-house-for-glock-switch-executive-order.html |access-date=September 26, 2024 |work=al.com}}

On September 27, a vigil was held for shooting victim Anitra Holloman at Railroad Park with her family members and friends in attendance. Multiple community activists spoke at the vigil.{{Cite news |last=Robinson |first=Carol |date=September 27, 2024 |title=Tears, prayers, pleas flow at vigil for Birmingham mass shooting victim: 'Put the guns down' |url=https://www.al.com/news/2024/09/tears-prayers-pleas-flow-at-vigil-for-birmingham-mass-shooting-victim-put-the-guns-down.html |access-date=September 29, 2024 |work=al.com}}

On September 23, Mayor Woodfin posted to his Facebook page a meme of headshots of various state lawmakers representing Jefferson County with the caption, "Thanks to all the Representatives helping to address public safety in Jefferson County". However, red text saying "Not you" was placed over the headshot of State Representative Juandalynn Givan. This meme was posted in response to Givan's suggestion that the Alabama National Guard be called in to support the Birmingham Police Department in response to the violence in the city.{{Cite news |last=Koplowitz |first=Howard |date=September 23, 2024 |title=Woodfin meme takes dig at Juandalynn Givan for saying maybe National Guard needed in 'unsafe' Birmingham |url=https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2024/09/woodfin-meme-takes-dig-at-juandalynn-givan-for-saying-maybe-national-guard-needed-in-unsafe-birmingham.html |access-date=October 2, 2024 |work=al.com}} Four days later, Woodfin issued an apology for posting the meme and said that he "messed up" following widespread criticism for the post and vowed to shift his focus back to "the real work" of addressing the city's violence problem.{{Cite news |date=September 30, 2024 |title=Birmingham Mayor Woodfin apologizes for social media dig amid mass shooting response |url=https://www.alreporter.com/2024/09/30/birmingham-mayor-woodfin-apologizes-for-social-media-dig-amid-mass-shooting-response/ |access-date=October 2, 2024 |work=Alabama Political Reporter}}