NEWTOWN, Conn. – Four people were killed, and 17 others were wounded in a mass shooting that took place in a popular nightlife area in Birmingham, Alabama on Saturday. Authorities are describing the incident as a targeted attack involving multiple shooters and many unintended victims caught in the crossfire. Local law enforcement stated that Glock switches may have been involved in the attack, which are illegal modifications that enable Glock pistols to fire in a fully automatic setting. These devices, also known as automatic sears, are small devices that cost as little as $20 online and can be produced via 3D printing.
Agencies including the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Birmingham police have been working together since July on “Operation Flip the Switch,” an effort to get conversion devices off the streets and prosecute those in possession of these devices.
In response, Mark Barden, co-founder and co-CEO of Sandy Hook Promise and father of Daniel who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, issued the following statement:
“This senseless tragedy was a heartless crime before it even transpired Saturday evening, committed by individuals that chose to self-manufacture an automatic firearm to cause greater harm. Now four families have had their loved ones ripped away from them, and nearly 20 others bear severe injuries – all within just a few seconds. No community should ever have to experience something like this. No family should ever have to endure a pain so profound. My heart is broken for all of those now grieving, and for all those who must now recover from this terrible mass shooting. We stand with the community of Birmingham.”
“Illegally modified firearms like the type used in this attack deserve no place in our country, yet reports indicate their prevalence has sharply increased in the last several years. The relative ease with which one can obtain and install these modifications is staggeringly alarming. We call on individual states to take steps to limit automatic switches and sears and, on the ATF, to strengthen regulations and reverse this deadly trend.”
To learn more about how you can help raise awareness about warning signs, advocate for sensible policies, and bring violence prevention programs to your community, visit sandyhookpromise.org.
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The Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund (SHPAF) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization committed to protecting all children from gun violence in schools, homes, and communities. The SHP Action Fund advances a holistic policy platform that promotes gun safety, youth mental health, and violence prevention education. The organization works at the state and federal level to pass nonpartisan legislation through inclusive partnerships, diverse grassroots education, and community mobilization. It is part of Sandy Hook Promise, founded and led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.
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