House Democrats use Birmingham mass slaying to target gun rights

September 23, 2024 - Montgomery. – The Alabama House Democratic Caucus issues a statement following a mass shooting incident in Birmingham on Saturday night that left 21 people shot – four of them dead. The lawmakers used this incident to target Alabama's permitless carry bill (passed in 2022 and to promote legislation that would make it a felony to possess a "Glock cap" – a device that converts a semiautomatic handgun to one that functions as an automatic weapon.

"Words cannot describe the grief, anguish, and outrage we feel over the mass shooting in Birmingham, Alabama," the Democratic lawmakers wrote. "Our hearts are with the families and friends of those who lost loved ones and with those that have been injured in this horrific act of senseless violence."

"We are also grateful to our first responders who put their lives on the line and whose rapid response helped to prevent further injury and death," the House Democrats continued. "Words are meaningless unless we take real and specific steps to pass gun safety legislation to protect our communities and to ensure public safety. It is incomprehensible Dand inexcusable that gun violence remains the number one cause of death for children in our state."

The lawmakers urged the passage of more laws restricting firearms.

"We must put partisan politics aside and put an end to this public health crisis," the lawmakers wrote." We respect responsible, legal gun ownership, but that does not mean that we cannot take immediate steps to prevent or minimize further incidents of gun violence in our streets."

"We must take immediate and meaningful actions like banning Glock switches and repealing the horrific permitless concealed gun carry law in order to keep these weapons from those who should never have them in the first place," said House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels (D-Huntsville). "This isn't a culture war issue over the right to own a gun, this is about the safety of everyone. People have simply had enough of senseless and often preventable gun violence. We can and must do better."

The assassins that carried out Saturday's attack committed four murders and seventeen attempted murders/felony assaults with a deadly weapon – these are all already felony crimes. The concept that they would have been deterred from their deeds by the requirement to get a pistol permit from their local sheriff is a bit presumptive. This case is being investigated as a contract killing where professional killers were hired by someone (likely a Birmingham crime lord) to eliminate at least two of the victims.

Some have speculated, due to the 100 shell casings found at the scene, that the four professional killers were using Glock caps (which are already illegal under federal law); but this has not actually been proven.

It is likely that the professional killers would still be able to purchase Glock caps and illegal firearms on the streets of Birmingham no matter what gun laws were passed. Laws against illegal drugs have not prevented these same criminal gangs from being able to market their product in every town and public school system in the state afterall.

To date there have been no arrests in the slayings and law enforcement has not named any suspects – even though the Birmingham Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, state law enforcement and federal law enforcement agencies are all working on this case – which has drawn national headlines.

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