The FBI and Crimestoppers have raised the reward to $100,000 for information leading to the capture of mysterious shooters behind what law enforcement believes was a targeted attack that left four people dead and 17 others injured at downtown Birmingham this past weekend. 

Shortly after 11 p.m. on Saturday night, multiple people got out of a car at Birmingham’s trendy Five Points South area and opened fire with guns that appeared to have been converted to automatic weapons. Three of the victims died at the scene, and a fourth died at a hospital, while four other people had life-threatening injuries. 

The location of the shooting is in the city’s entertainment district, which is just a few blocks from the campus of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. It is a popular nightlife location on the weekends as patrons visit the area’s bars and restaurants. The eruption of gunfire in the busy area has left residents rattled and the city’s mayor calling for more action to combat gun violence. 

A biomedical engineering student who lives close to the scene of the slaughter, Geoffrey Boshell, told the Associated Press, “I’m not sure scared is the right word. Just very disturbed that it was happening right outside where you are living.”

Police believe the shooting was targeted to kill one person, and the other victims were caught in the crossfire.

The Birmingham Police chief, Scott Thurmond, said, “Someone was willing to pay money to have that person killed.” He declined to say who was being targeted.

Al.com, the digital-only successor to the Birmingham News, reports that two of the four homicide victims themselves had been charged with past Birmingham murders. Carlos De’Juan McCain, 27, was acquitted of murder and attempted murder in 2017 — police said it was a retaliation attack. Roderick Lynn Paterson, 26, was charged with a fatal 2021 murder, but the charges were dismissed due to “death, unavailability and noncooperation of witnesses” 

“Some of the individuals killed have extensive criminal histories and because of that, there’s often motivation from others, and there’s people willing to pay to have them killed,” Mr. Thurmond said.

The other two people killed on Saturday night – Anitra Hollomon, 21, and Tahj Booker, 27, did not appear to have criminal records.

“There were innocent victims we know,” Mr. Thurmond said, “but the crux of the people targeted had criminal histories and unfortunately being in that lifestyle, that culture, unfortunately ended in their demise.

“Here’s the thing. These weren’t people just riding around targeting random people,” the chief said. “There’s not people riding around the city of Birmingham shooting random people just to be shooting them.

“These were people who were targeted because of their involvement in the things they’re involved in, the things they do day to day,” he said.

Law enforcement officials say they believe the shooters used conversion devices that allowed their guns to function as fully automatic weapons. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives notes conversion devices are prohibited under federal law and are considered machine guns themselves. It also noted such devices “can convert semi-automatic pistols and rifles into fully automatic weapons in less than 60 seconds. One pull of the trigger can release all the ammunition in the magazine.”

Officials reportedly found more than 100 shell casings at the scene of the shooting. 

Saturday’s shooting comes as local officials say that Birmingham, one of the fastest growing metropolitan destinations in the south, is seeing an “epidemic level” of gun violence. 

In July, Birmingham reported a 14 percent year-over-year increase in the number of deadly shootings. That came after the city experienced five homicides in as many days. Less than 24 hours after Saturday’s carnage, one person was killed, and two others were injured in a separate shooting at Birmingham. 

The rise in murders comes as the city has repeatedly been ranked by WalletHub as one of the worst places to raise a family in the country — Memphis and Detroit were the worst. In July, Mayor Randall Woodfin of Birmingham announced the implementation of a new tip line designed to give residents a way to feel safe about sharing information on homes with suspected criminal activity and called for an assault weapons ban in a bid to crack down on violent crime. 

The White House condemned the “senseless violence” in Saturday’s shooting and said it is coordinating with state, local, and federal officials in the investigation. 

As of Monday morning, there were no suspects in custody, and the Birmingham Police Department is working with the FBI to investigate the shooting.