On Saturday evening, Sept. 21, four people were killed, and 17 others were injured at a hookah lounge called Hush. This mass shooting was most likely carried out using conversion devices in the attack, and over 100 shell casings were collected at the scene. The officers found the bodies of two men and one woman at the scene, while the third man succumbed from gunshot wounds in the hospital. Anitra Holloman (21, from Bessemer, Alabama), Tahj Booker (27, from Birmingham, Alabama) and Carlos McCain (27, from Birmingham, Alabama)  were the victims who died on the scene. Roderick Lynn Patterson Jr. (26, from Birmingham, Alabama) succumbed to injuries after being brought to the hospital.

Many believe that this was not random; it was intentional, but there were innocent victims caught in the crossfire. Police Chief Scott Thurmond believes that the shooting may have been a result of a murder-for-hire plot. The person targeted in the “hit” was allegedly thought to be among those who got killed. Yet, no arrests have been made. Gabriel Eslami, 24, told local news that he had been shot in the buttocks, hastened from the lounge and was hospitalized himself. He described seeing “blood everywhere” and the sight of “people’s bodies laid out on the pavement.”

After hearing about the mass shooting, I found it devastating to see my home city rise in the rankings as one of the most dangerous cities in the U.S. A city I was born and raised in is turning into a city I can no longer recognize as my home. Growing up in Birmingham, of course, there were deaths, but they were not back-to-back. They were not people I grew up with. There were not many mass shootings. When I was younger, we did not pull out guns. We fought about everything. I never encouraged fights, but that was better than pulling out a gun and taking someone’s life. The attackers of this mass shooting used “Glock switches,” basically automatic handguns, and these weapons hit innocent people all because they wanted to kill a certain person. They killed and injured someone’s loved ones.

The owner of Hush said that it was heartbreaking that their customers were caught up in this incident. The mayor of Birmingham, Randall Woodfin, blamed “Glock switches,” saying that these devices can be attached to handguns to make them fire automatically. Mayor Woodfin shared on Facebook that if he “sees anyone with a switch, that’s 10 years in jail.” He also said, “If you know someone with one, providing or selling them, call Crime Stoppers.” He has made multiple posts about this and made examples out of young men who do not think he is serious about this topic.

Some young men poked fun at Woodfin’s statements on Facebook, saying they had a “switch” and threatened Mayor Woodfin with it. This resulted in Woodfin making another post on Facebook explaining to everyone that if they want to play with him, he can make an example out of them.

You would not find me threatening an elected official because I wanted to be “cool.” “Glock switches” are the number one public safety issue in Montgomery and the state of Alabama. We need to improve this city and the state as a whole. We need to stop gun violence, especially Black-on-Black crime.

There have been more than 400 mass shootings across the U.S. so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are injured or killed. This incident in Birmingham is the second mass shooting to take place in the city in two months and the third quadruple homicide of 2024. These back-to-back mass shootings are dreadful to hear about, righteously from any city or state in the U.S. This tragedy is very heartbreaking because a moment meant for gathering and community was shattered by such tragedy. As we all process this, we must continue to support each other, hold space for those in pain and work toward fostering peace and safety in our communities.

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the gunmen’s arrests and convictions. “If you or you know someone who has information about those involved in Saturday’s mass shooting, know that you can remain anonymous,” Crime Stoppers explained. Frank Barefield, chairman of Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama, also announced a $50,000 reward, the group’s biggest reward ever. Mayor Woodfin stated that you can receive up to $100,000 if you have credible information that leads to an arrest and/or an actual conviction.