Police believe a “Glock switch” was used in the mass shooting that killed four people and injured 18 others outside an Alabama cigar lounge.
Shots rang out shortly after 11 p.m. Saturday in the Five Points South entertainment district outside the Hush tobacco and hookah lounge in Birmingham, injuring at least 22 people.
Two men and a woman died at the scene in the 2000 block of Magnolia Avenue, near the University of Alabama, while a fourth male victim died at the hospital.
An additional 18 shooting victims were identified and treated at local hospitals with injuries ranging from non-life-threatening to life-threatening.
Birmingham police said WVTM They suspect the shooter used a Glock switch to convert the pistol into an automatic weapon.
Police believe a ‘Glock switch’ was used in the mass shooting that killed four people and injured 18 others outside an Alabama cigar lounge
‘Glock switches’ (pictured) are modifications that transform pistols into fully automatic weapons.
‘Glock switches’ or ‘auto sear switches’ are modifications that transform pistols into fully automatic weapons.
Use of the devices is on the rise nearly 100 years after Congress passed a law designed to keep automatic weapons out of the hands of criminals.
They are small, about the size of a quarter, and can be easily installed on Glock pistols. Similar devices exist for other brands, but are less common.
They allow guns to fire continuously with a single pull of the trigger.
They cost around $50 and are widely available. They can be bought on websites and imported or, increasingly, manufactured in the country with a 3D printer.
“These types of switches make a whole class of weapons particularly lethal,” said former ATF agent David Chipman. “They’re really targeted at criminal and extremist buyers and owners.”
Police believe there may be multiple gunmen responsible for horrific mass shooting
Two men and a woman died at the scene in the 2000 block of Magnolia Avenue, near the University of Alabama, while a fourth male victim died at the hospital.
Police believe there may be multiple gunmen responsible for the horrific mass shooting, but as of Sunday morning no suspects have been arrested.
The shooting is believed not to have been random and was an isolated incident in which several victims were caught in the crossfire.
“Glock gun switches are the number one public safety issue in our city and state. While they are illegal under federal law, there is no state law that makes them illegal,” Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said Sunday.
“Every mayor, police chief, sheriff and district attorney I know wants to ban Glock switches. Turning a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic weapon that fires all rounds in a matter of seconds is not something that belongs on our streets.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the ATF have partnered with Birmingham’s police chief and mayor to launch “Operation Flip the Switch,” a program to get Glock switches off the streets, the local news station reported.
“Where we used to see a dozen or less shell casings at a scene, we’re now seeing 75 to 100 or even more than 100 at a crime scene, because as you’ll see later, we’re going to see very soon how quickly these bullets are being fired from these weapons,” said Chief Scott Thurmond.
“These weapons can do a lot of damage very quickly. As the ATF just said, there is no place for these things in our city, our state or our country.”
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