Reviewed by: Pat Byington
Fight against gun violence gets national support, Mayor Woodfin in attendance
On Thursday, Sept. 26, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin joined President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in the East Room of the White House for the signing of an executive order to combat gun violence in America.
The order comes on the heels of Saturday night’s mass shooting in Five Points South, which left 17 injured and four dead.
Combating gun violence in America
At Thursday’s press conference, President Biden and Vice President Harris announced a new Executive Order to combat gun violence in America.
The EO directs federal agencies to:
- Improve school-based active shooter drills
- Combat emerging threats, including machine gun conversion devices and unserialized, 3D-printed firearms
While investigators have not released specifics about the weapons used, they believe the shooter(s) used Glock switches. These small, inconspicuous devices convert legal, semi-automatic Glock handguns into selective-fire weapons capable of fully automatic fire.
Possession of a Glock switch—regardless of whether it is installed in a handgun or not—is illegal in the United States under most circumstances.
Mayor Randall Woodfin was invited to speak at the event and stood alongside President Biden as he signed the EO.
“This is a historic day in the fight against gun violence.
I want to offer my sincerest gratitude to President Biden and Vice President Harris for recognizing the importance of having federal support in this hard-fought battle.
Our close partnership with the administration, our U.S. Attorney and federal law enforcement agencies based in Birmingham is critical.”
Mayor Randall Woodfin
Watch the full press conference below.
Five Points South mass shooters still at large
The perpetrators responsible for the mass shooting in Five Points South are still at large.
“I will not rest until these murderers are brought to justice.
I am committed to doing everything within my power to make sure that criminals cannot gun down innocent people with no regard for life.
I will continue to call for changes in our local, state, and federal systems and also lobby for resources. I do this in honor of those who were impacted on Saturday and for all of Birmingham’s victims of senseless gun violence.”
Mayor Randall Woodfin
Mayor Woodfin’s office has convened with city, county, state and federal law enforcement as well as area business owners in Five Points South to help identify the criminals.
Citizens can anonymously submit evidence or clues pertaining to the shooting through Birmingham’s Evidence Submission Portal or by calling Crimestoppers at 205.254.7777.
In addition, the Office of Victims of Crime within the Department of Justice has created an online page with resources and support for victims of the Five Points South shooting.
