By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times
With elected officials from across the nation, survivors of gun shootings and governmental officials in attendance, Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin joined President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in the East Room of the White House on Thursday to address gun violence in America.
Less than a week after a mass shooting on Birmingham’s Southside left four dead and 17 wounded, Woodfin was invited to the White House and stood alongside Biden as the President signed an executive order to direct federal agencies to combat the emerging threats of Glock switches — machine gun conversion devices — and un-serialized, 3D-printed firearms.
Woodfin, who lost an older brother to gun violence in 2011, delivered remarks after being introduced by Harris as a “local and national leader.”
“Saving lives should not be partisan, saving lives should not be Democrat or Republican,” Woodfin said, “… saving lives is the most American thing we can do together. We’ve been working with our U.S. Attorney, with the Justice Department to get machine gun conversions like Glock switches off our city streets, but still my community, and I imagine other communities, are still finding the use of these devices at crime scene after crime scene.
He continued, “That’s why I am grateful to our President, that’s why I’m so grateful to our Vice President as well, who today are taking more action to help people not only in Birmingham but across our country. Today we loosen the grip that gun violence has on our communities.”
Police say a gun with a Glock switch was among the weapons fired, resulting in the carnage left behind last Saturday in Birmingham. “This is not the first occasion, unfortunately, in 2024, where we’ve seen the style of weapons, the number of bullets on the scene possibly converted automatic weapons being used in our streets,’’ Woodfin said on Sunday
The mayor has previously called Glock switches “the number one public safety issue in Birmingham and the state … Ban Glock switches. This shouldn’t be up for debate … 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.”
Since Saturday’s incident, Woodfin has met with city, county, state, and federal law enforcement as well as with area business owners in the 5 Points South entertainment district to discuss resources and solutions. He also continues to reach out to Saturday’s victims and their families offering the city’s condolences and support.
Following Thursday’s signing of the executive order returned immediately to Birmingham and to work with law enforcement to find those responsible for Saturday’s violence and work to build a safer Birmingham. The city continues to seek the public’s assistance in helping to capture those responsible for Saturday’s violent event. The reward for information related to this case totals $100,000.
“I will not rest until these murderers are brought to justice,” he said. “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.”
Anyone with information about shootings or homicides in Birmingham can call Birmingham detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
You can watch the remarks from today’s event at the White House here.
