Birmingham nightlife shooting leaves four dead and 17 wounded in what police call a targeted hit

# Birmingham nightlife shooting leaves four dead and 17 wounded in what police call a targeted hit

Police say more than 100 shell casings were recovered after multiple shooters opened fire outside a Five Points South venue.

Four people were killed and 17 others injured when multiple shooters opened fire outside a nightlife venue in Birmingham, Alabama, late on Sept. 21, 2024, according to the supplied AP and ABC News reports. Police said the shooting happened just after 11 p.m. in the Five Points South entertainment district, a busy part of the city where restaurants and bars attract large weekend crowds. The attack happened on the sidewalk and street outside Hush, a hookah and cigar lounge.

Authorities said the shooting was targeted, with investigators believing one of the dead was the intended victim. ABC News and AP both reported that police described the attack as a hit, possibly connected to a murder-for-hire style assault, though that theory remained under investigation. The attackers arrived in a vehicle, got out and fired into a large group before fleeing. Police said they were still searching for multiple suspects the next day.

The casualty count rose quickly as victims arrived at hospitals. Police identified three of the dead as Anitra Holloman, 21, of Bessemer; Tahj Booker, 27, of Birmingham; and Carlos McCain, 27, of Birmingham. The fourth victim was pronounced dead at a hospital and was pending identification in the AP report. By Sunday morning, police said 21 people had been struck by gunfire in total, with injuries ranging from non-life-threatening to life-threatening.

The amount of evidence collected at the scene suggests how intense the gunfire was. Police said more than 100 shell casings were recovered, and ABC News reported that investigators believed a modified weapon or machine-gun conversion devices may have been used. Thurmond said some of the shots appeared to have been fully automatic. Those details are important because they point to a level of firepower that can turn a short burst of violence into a mass-casualty event in seconds.

The shooting also landed in a city already dealing with repeated gun violence. Mayor Randall Woodfin said public safety was his priority and urged broader action beyond police investigations. The AP report said Birmingham had already seen multiple mass shootings in 2024, a grim context that made the Five Points South attack even more unnerving for residents who live and work nearby. Students and nightlife workers described people running through the streets and bodies on the sidewalk as the gunfire continued.

The verified facts show a targeted attack in a busy entertainment district, a heavy volume of gunfire, a large number of wounded victims and an active search for suspects. Police were working with the FBI and ATF, and no arrests had been announced in the supplied reports. For Birmingham, the shooting was not just another crime scene. It was a public event in a crowded district that exposed how quickly a targeted attack can become a citywide emergency.