By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times
After one of the most violent starts to a month in Birmingham in recent memory, Mayor Randall Woodfin this week began one of the most intense anti-violence messaging campaigns of his two terms in office.
Across 24 hours on Saturday, a man, woman and 5-year-old child were killed in a triple homicide and four died in a mass shooting at a birthday party. Nearly a dozen more were injured in the shootings.
Those came after five homicides in the first five days of July.
After the shootings on Saturday the mayor met with law enforcement agencies that included the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms. They later gathered on Sunday for a press conference.
The city will be more aggressive collaborating with federal law enforcement “to be extremely aggressive in going after” all crimes, the mayor said, “small things that turn to gun violence,” including credit card scams, auto thefts and gun trafficking.
“What we’ve got to do is turn the heat up on everybody,” said Woodfin, first elected in 2017.
On Monday, the mayor was on the Chris Coleman Radio Network (V94.9 WATV AM/FM) to talk about the lives lost over the weekend and challenges of getting residents with information to come forward.
Also on Monday, Woodfin posted on social media — “I really want to implore those dating people in the game to not ride with them. Don’t be in the same car. Don’t allow your children to ride with them. Don’t say yes when they say come with me or take me to make this lick.”
“It’s always supposed to be “no women, no children” but y’all don’t have a code. Too many of y’all are down with killing women and children. The only thing worse than that are the people who are giving safe harbor for those who kill women and children.”
On Tuesday, during his report to the City Council the mayor handled an AR-15 rifle and a Micro Draco handgun while calling for a crackdown on military-style weapons.
And, he returned to his warning that citizens need to steer clear of drug dealers. “Do not ride with them, do not be in the car with them … People are not protecting women and children in this community like they’re supposed to,” Woodfin said. “It is not safe. The lifestyle you think you may be getting from whoever this person is in drug activity, whether it’s money or clothes or paying your bills, or providing your children with clothes and shoes, it’s not worth it.”
Meanwhile, City Councilors on Tuesday addressed gun violence that shook city over the weekend
Councilor Clinton Woods said, “Every time you see a headline there is so much behind that; it ripples outward and so many people have to figure out how to move forward after these incidents. My kids are growing up in the same neighborhood I grew up in. You have to explain to them what a gunshot is. This weekend was especially difficult because we didn’t have enough time to process one tragedy after another.”
Birmingham City Councilor LaTonya Tate, chair of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee, issued a statement that said she was “heartbroken” after the weekend’s violence.
“Birmingham has experienced an appallingly violent 24 hours, and I, like many in our city, feel grief-stricken. We’ve said it too many times: these acts of violence are senseless. They must stop. We cannot become desensitized to this public health crisis. We all want–and envision–so much more for our city.”
“As Chair of Public Safety,” Tate continued, “I’ve also said this many times: we can’t police our way out of this. We need everyone’s help and commitment — from our neighborhood leaders, our churches, our businesses, elected officials — everyone has a part to play. We all have to work together to make the changes that we so desperately need in our communities.”
Tate will be holding a 10 a.m. press conference this Friday, July 19 in front of the building where the four murders took place in North Birmingham. The address is 3427 27th St N, Birmingham, AL 35207.
“I’ve had many conversations with our neighborhood leaders – I see the neighborhood president and secretary here with us today – about these business owners that come into these neighborhoods and do not want to comply with our laws,” Tate said. “I ride the streets of North Birmingham every day. I know some of the people who were shot – grew up with them. But I’ll be damned if we let these people and businesses come into our neighborhoods and do whatever they want to do. Not on my watch.”
Anyone with information in the triple and quadruple homicides can upload evidence by following this link or contacting Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
