The mayor of Birmingham called on the public to share any information they have and slammed “no snitching” culture as the search for suspects in Saturday’s mass shooting continues.
Four people were killed and 17 were injured in the mass shooting in the Five Points South neighborhood of Birmingham.
Officials stated that “multiple suspects” opened fire at a large group of people. No suspects have been identified and no arrests have been made yet.
“There’s this ‘no snitching’ culture,” Mayor Randall Woodfin said at a press conference on Tuesday. “It is deeply ingrained and embedded. It does not exist only in the city limits of Birmingham. It is an American cultural problem and it runs deeper in the Black community.”
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin spoke out against “no snitching” culture at a press conference on Tuesday as the search for Saturday’s mass shooting suspects continues. The shooting outside a lounge in a popular nightlife district left four people dead.
WVTM 13 and AP Photo/Kim Chandler
Woodfin spoke about the importance of fighting against that mindset.
“Within that culture, people have information,” Woodfin said. “People know who the shooters are. They know what happened, they have the detail. Hell, some of them even have video. They have all the credible information, and they refuse to share it.”
He had a message for anyone who has information but chooses not to share it with law enforcement.
“You are as responsible for the person or the people that pull the triggers,” Woodfin said. “You are responsible for the innocent lives lost and the people who have been discharged and in critical condition in the hospital. You are as responsible if you’re sitting on the information that leads to the capture and arrest. Do your part, we are prepared to do ours.”
The four deceased victims have been identified as 21-year-old Anitra Holloman, 26-year-old Roderick Lynn Patterson, Jr., 27-year-old Tahj Booker and 27-year-old Carlos McCain.
At a press conference on Monday, Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond said that 12 of the injured victims have been released from the hospital.
Anthony Crawford owns T-Bone’s Authentic Philly Style Cheesesteaks and Hoagies, which is located around the corner from the site of the shooting. He called on community members to get over their fear of “snitching.”
“I think our police officers here do pretty good work,” Crawford told Newsweek. “I don’t have a complaint, so I think that says a lot. I think people need to get out of that ‘I’m not going to tell. I don’t feel comfortable snitching.’ You’ve got to tell what you know. We’ve got to get these characters off the street. The quicker we get them off the street, the quicker we’ll be safer.”
The FBI and Crime Stoppers are offering a reward of $50,000 each for information leading to arrests.
Anyone with information in relation to the shooting should contact the Birmingham Police Department Homicide Division at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
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