Four people have been killed in a mass shooting in Alabama overnight.
Gunfire erupted in the Five Points South entertainment district outside Hush hookah and cigar lounge in Birmingham just after 11pm on Saturday night – injuring at least 22 people.
Two men and a woman were killed at the scene in the 2000 block of Magnolia Avenue, near the University of Alabama, while a fourth male victim died in hospital.
Detectives are investigating whether the gunmen – who is still on the loose – walked up to the victims or drove by, Officer Truman Fitzgerald said.
Police believe there may be multiple gunmen responsible for the horrific mass shooting – but no suspects have been arrested as of Sunday morning.
It is believed the shooting was not random and stemmed from an isolated incident where multiple victims were caught in the crossfire, Birmingham Police told DailyMail.com.
Birmingham Police Department vehicles near the scene where multiple people were shot late Saturday
Birmingham Police Officer Truman Fitzgerald (pictured) said the gunman either walked up to the victims or drove by
‘Rest assured, we are going to do everything we possibly can to uncover, identify and hunt down whoever was responsible for preying on our people,’ Fitzgerald added.
An additional 18 gunshot victims with injuries ranging from non-life-threatening to life-threatening were identified and treated at local hospitals.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital is treating 11 of the victims, Hannah Echols, a hospital spokesperson told CNN.
‘We have dozens of gunshot victims from this area,’ Fitzgerald said. ‘I’m told at least four of those gunshot victims are life-threatening, the others have various injuries.’
Two men and a woman were killed at the scene in the 2000 block of Magnolia Avenue, near the University of Alabama, while a fourth victim died in hospital
An additional 18 gunshot victims were identified and treated at local hospitals
Streets have been blocked off in the surrounding area as police continue their investigation into the incident.
Fitzgerald revealed that local authorities have reached out to the FBI and ATF for assistance.
Birmingham police have asked that businesses in the local area provide any surveillance footage they might have, and requested that the public reach out to them with any relevant information.
Five Points South is a popular area known for its nightlife venues near the University of Alabama at Birmingham campus.
Fitzgerald said the mass shootings ‘have more to do with culture than they do criminality,’ adding that ‘we’re seeing far too many arguments being settled by bullets.’
Gunfire erupted outside Hush hookah and cigar lounge (pictured) in Birmingham as people waited to enter
Two men and a woman were killed at the scene in the 2000 block of Magnolia Avenue in the Five Points South area (pictured) near the University of Alabama
Witnesses described a chaotic scene as police worked to contain the area and aide victims.
‘I walked up when it was just ending, because everybody was screaming, there was people crying,’ Dajon Singleton told WVTM.
Police believe Glock switches were used in the shooting. These devices give the ability to switch between semi-automatic and fully automatic when attached to the back of a Glock.
There have been more than 400 mass shootings across the US this year, according to Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are injured or killed.