Birmingham on track to set record for number of homicides

2 months ago 2

FINALIZED BY EARLY NEXT YEAR. THERE HAVE BEEN 129 HOMICIDES IN BIRMINGHAM SO FAR THIS YEAR, AND WE’RE ON PACE TO SET A NEW RECORD IN THE MAGIC CITY. NO. ONE, ONE THAT NO. ONE, OF COURSE, WANTS TO BREAK WVTM 13 S LISA CRANE IS LIVE IN LOCAL FOR US HERE IN BIRMINGHAM. LISA, WE SAW SEVERAL MASS SHOOTINGS THAT REALLY MADE THE STATISTIC JUMP. YEAH. AND ONE OF THOSE HAPPENED HERE AT THE HUSH LOUNGE ON SEPTEMBER 21ST. THE CROWD WAS WAITING IN LINE TO GET IN RIGHT WHERE I’M STANDING RIGHT NOW WHEN A CAR DROVE BY AND MULTIPLE SHOOTERS OPENED FIRE. FOUR PEOPLE DIED, 17 INJURED, AND THE BARRAGE OF BULLETS. BUT SADLY, THEY WOULDN’T BE THE LAST TO DIE IN BIRMINGHAM IN 2024. BIRMINGHAM’S LATEST HOMICIDE HAPPENED HERE ON HUFFMAN ROAD IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF SUNDAY. POLICE SAY THEY FOUND A MAN SHOT ON THE GROUND. HE DIED AT THE HOSPITAL. RESIDENTS AT A NEARBY APARTMENT COMPLEX SAY HE WAS A HOMELESS MAN THEY CALLED FRIEND. HE WAS REAL NICE. HE AIN’T BOTHERED NOBODY. HE HAD MENTAL PROBLEMS. OF COURSE, BUT HE WASN’T A PROBLEM. IF YOU TOLD HIM TO LEAVE, HE’LL LEAVE. BUT HE WAS A ALL AROUND GOOD PERSON. IT’S THE LATEST IN WHAT’S BEEN A DEADLY YEAR IN BIRMINGHAM. SO MANY HOMICIDES. THE CITY COULD BREAK THE RECORD FOR MOST HOMICIDES IN A YEAR. I HATE TO SEE THE DIRECTION IT’S GOING. CALERA POLICE CHIEF POSTED ABOUT THE CITY’S CRIME PROBLEM ON X RECENTLY, CALLING VIOLENCE IN THE MAGIC CITY OUT OF CONTROL. HE SAYS ADAPTERS LIKE GLOCK SWITCHES AND LIGHTNING LINKS ARE PARTLY TO BLAME. THIS IS A LITTLE PIECE OF -- PLASTIC MADE IN CHINA. A LOT OF TIMES ARE MADE ON A HOME PRINTER, A 3D PRINTER THAT YOU STICK IN A GUN AND IT GOES FROM A SEMIAUTOMATIC PISTOL TO 20 ROUNDS A SECOND. IT’S INSANE. THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE THAT SOMEBODY CAN CAUSE WITH ONE OF THOSE THINGS, AND THEY’RE ALL OVER THE PLACE, CHIEF SAYS. WEAK POLICING IS ALSO THE PROBLEM. WHEN LEADERS START APOLOGIZING FOR BEING TOUGH ON CRIME, AND OFFICERS DON’T FEEL EMPOWERED OR SUPPORTED IN THEIR ROLES, RESIDENTS NEAR THE MOST RECENT HOMICIDE SAY THEY JUST WANT TO FEEL SAFE AGAIN. I DO WANT TO GO HOME AT NIGHT AND I WOULD LOVE TO TO LIVE MY LIFE AND TO GET OLD. I MEAN, JUST BEING OUT HERE AND IT COULD BE YOU COULD JUST BE IN THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME. THE CHIEF SAYS THAT THE CRIME IN THE MAGIC CITY DOES IMPACT CALERA AND OTHER SUBURBS OF BIRMINGHAM, BECAUSE HE SAYS THE BAD GUYS DON’T RECOGNIZE CITY LIMITS AND VIOLENT CRIME DOES HAVE A TENDENC

There have been 129 homicides in Birmingham so far this year. We're on pace to set a new record in the Magic City, one no one wants to break. Birmingham's latest homicide happened on Huffman Road in the early morning hours on Sunday. Police said they found a man shot, on the ground. He died in the hospital. Residents at a nearby apartment complex said he was a homeless man, they called friend. Anna Stacks said, “He was real nice. He ain't bother nobody. He had lots of problems, of course, but he wasn't a problem. If you tell him to leave, he'll leave. He was an all-around good person.” It's the latest in what's been a deadly year in Birmingham. So many homicides, the city could break the record for most homicides in a year. Calera Police Chief, David Hyche said, “I hate to see the direction it's going.”Hyche posted about the city's crime problem on X recently, calling the violence in the Magic City, “out of control”. He said adapters like Glock switches and lightning links are partly to blame. He added, “This is a little piece of crap plastic made in China. A lot of times are made on a home printer, a 3d printer that you stick in a gun, and it goes from a semi-automatic pistol to 20 rounds a second. That's insane. The amount of damage that somebody can cause with one of those things, and they're all over the place.”Chief Hyche said weak policing is also to blame, when leaders start apologizing for being tough on crime and officers don't feel empowered or supported in their roles. Residents near the most recent homicide said they just want to feel safe again. Melvin Hall said, “I do want to go home at night. And I would love to live my life and to get old. I mean, just being out here, this it could be you could just be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”Chief Hyche said crime in the Birmingham does impact Calera and other suburbs because the bad guys don't recognize city limits, violent crime has a tendency to spread.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —

It's the latest in what's been a deadly year in Birmingham. So many homicides, the city could break the record for most homicides in a year. Calera Police Chief, David Hyche said, “I hate to see the direction it's going.”

Hyche posted about the city's crime problem on X recently, calling the violence in the Magic City, “out of control”. He said adapters like Glock switches and lightning links are partly to blame. He added, “This is a little piece of crap plastic made in China. A lot of times are made on a home printer, a 3d printer that you stick in a gun, and it goes from a semi-automatic pistol to 20 rounds a second. That's insane. The amount of damage that somebody can cause with one of those things, and they're all over the place.”

Chief Hyche said weak policing is also to blame, when leaders start apologizing for being tough on crime and officers don't feel empowered or supported in their roles.

Residents near the most recent homicide said they just want to feel safe again. Melvin Hall said, “I do want to go home at night. And I would love to live my life and to get old. I mean, just being out here, this it could be you could just be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Chief Hyche said crime in the Birmingham does impact Calera and other suburbs because the bad guys don't recognize city limits, violent crime has a tendency to spread.

Read Entire Article