On Thursday, September 26, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin joined President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in the East Room of the White House to sign an executive order aimed at combating gun violence in America.

The order comes after a mass shooting Saturday night in Five Points South that left 17 people injured and four dead.

Combating gun violence in America

At a press conference on Thursday, President Biden and Vice President Harris announced a new executive order aimed at combating gun violence in America.

The EO directs federal agencies to:

• Improve school active shooter drills
• Combating emerging threats, including machine gun conversion devices and non-serialized 3D printed firearms

On the evening of Saturday, September 21, a mass shooting broke out outside the Hush Lounge in the Five Points South neighborhood of Birmingham, leaving four people dead and 17 injured.

While investigators have not provided details about the weapon used, they believe the shooters were involved Glock switches. These small, inconspicuous devices transform legal, semi-automatic Glock pistols into selective-firing weapons capable of fully automatic fire.

Owning a Glock Switch –regardless of whether it is mounted on a handgun or not—is illegal in most cases in the United States.

Mayor Randall Woodfin was invited to speak at the event and stood alongside President Biden as he signed the order.

“This is a historic day in the fight against gun violence.

I want to sincerely thank President Biden and Vice President Harris for recognizing the importance of federal support in this fierce battle.

Our close cooperation with the administration, our U.S. attorney and federal law enforcement based in Birmingham is critical.”

Mayor Randall Woodfin

Watch the full press conference below.

Five Points South mass shooters still at large

The perpetrators of the Five Points South mass shooting remain at large.

“I will not rest until these murderers are brought to justice.

I pledge to do everything in my power to make sure that criminals cannot shoot innocent people regardless of life.

I will continue to call for changes in our local, state and federal systems and lobby for resources. I do this in honor of those who suffered on Saturday and all the victims of senseless gun violence in Birmingham.”

Mayor Randall Woodfin

Mayor Woodfin’s office met with city, county, state and federal authorities, as well as business owners in the Five Points South area to help identify criminals.

Citizens can anonymously report evidence or tips regarding a shooting through the Birmingham Evidence Reporting Portal or by calling Crimestoppers at 205.254.7777.

Additionally, the Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime has created a website with resources and support for victims of the Five Points South shooting.