Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin called on Alabama legislators to ban gun conversion devices such as Glock switches hours after a mass shooting in an entertainment area Saturday night left four people dead and at least 17 others injured.
“Converting a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic weapon that discharges all bullets within seconds doesn’t belong on our domestic streets,” Woodfin said in a Facebook post Sunday morning. “This shouldn’t be up for debate. This morning, too many families have to pick up the pieces of an unfair new normal that doesn’t include their love one.”
As of 9 a.m. Sunday morning, law enforcement officials are searching for people responsible for the shooting. Local officials are holding a news conference soon. See latest updates from the shooting and investigation here.
Witnesses at the scene on Magnolia Avenue late Saturday night said some of the gunfire during the shooting sounded like it came from a weapon with a “switch” that converts a gun to full automatic. Police have not yet confirmed the type of weapons used in the incident.
Club patrons were waiting in line outside Hush, a hookah and cigar lounge in the Pickwick Place retail center, when gunfire killed four people and injured at least 18 others. The shooting is Birmingham’s third mass shooting so far in 2024.
Woodfin, echoing previous calls from other mayors to crack down on Glock switches, described the prevalence of gun conversion devices as the top public safety issue in Birmingham and the state.
Gun conversion devices like Glock switches are about one inch long that can be made of metal or plastic and can be 3D printed. They fit onto the back of a handgun and allow the user to switch between semi-automatic gunfire to fully automatic, mirroring a machine gun.
The devices are illegal under federal law, but Alabama currently has no state legislation banning the devices. So far, legislative efforts to crack down on the devices across the state have failed.
Woodfin added that mayors don’t have the ability to regulate guns in Alabama, calling for a ban with a 10-year sentence for anyone caught with a glock switch, 25 years for a person who shoots someone using a glock switch and survives. and an “automatic life” sentence if the victim dies.
“We need our legislators to pass laws that save lives and give local authorities the tools(laws) to arrest those who just drive around and walk around with these weapons,” Woodfin said.
Mayor Steven Reed of Montgomery, who similarly has asked the legislature for help dealing with violent crime, said on X Sunday that he agreed with Woodfin.
Rep. Phillip Ensler, D-Montgomery, introduced another bill in the Alabama House of Representatives in August that would make anyone caught with a gun conversion devices subject to a Class C felony.
“I cannot imagine how traumatic it was last night, and to think about for all of the families and friends and people that have now lost a loved one or have a loved one that’s injured, it’s really horrific,” Ensler said.
Ensler added that he defers to law enforcement says about what devices were used, but in general what happen emphasizes the need to ban Glock switches on the state level, which he said he’s pushed for in legislation for three years. The previous bill he introduced died in the state senate in May during an unrelated filibuster, he said.
“It’s not a Democrat or Republican issue. It’s a human issue, and it’s a matter of just trying to save lives,” Ensler said. “If we can even save one life by having a state-level offense for it, then that is worth it. I absolutely hope we pass it this year. Everyday that goes by is a day that we’re risking losing lives.”
But some state legislators are against bans on switches, arguing that it won’t actually reduce crime and that the federal law suffices. Instead, some lawmakers have proposed letting the state attorney general appoint police chiefs and control local departments.
It’s now a felony in Mississippi to possess a gun conversion device, a state with a Republican governor and one that isn’t known for embracing gun restrictions. Gov. Tate Reeves signed the new legislation in May, four months after a county deputy was shot and killed by a man carrying a handgun converted into an automatic weapon.
Some gun violence prevention groups began to weigh in Sunday morning.
“Americans shouldn’t have to risk their lives to enjoy a night out. It’s infuriating that this keeps happening,” Giffords.org, a group founded by former Rep. Gabby Giffords, posted to X.
Elected officials began weighing in on the tragedy as well.
State Rep. Neil Rafferty, who represents part of the Birmingham metro, sent a statement to AL.com Sunday advocating for “specific, evidence-based action” to address violence.
“We must act immediately—implementing specific, evidence-based actions–to rid the scourge of gun violence that is ravishing our communities here and across the country. We must focus on gun violence prevention, common-sense regulation, education, and ensure responsible, safe gun ownership,” he said.
Rep. Terri Sewell, who represents part of Birmingham in Congress, said in a social media statement that “senseless violence” must stop, and that officials at all levels of government must work to make communities safer.
