At least 4 killed, 20 injured in Alabama mass shooting; suspect(s) still at large

At least four people were killed and more than 20 injured in Birmingham, Alabama, after multiple suspected shooters opened fire in a nightlife area in the US city.

According to reports by AP and AFP, the incident took place after 11 pm on Saturday night, when multiple people were found shot on 20th Street near Magnolia Avenue in the Five Points South area in Birmingham.

Three victims were prounounced dead on the spot while a fourth person was pronounced dead at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital.

The area where the shooting happened is a vibrant nightlife area, with multiple entertainment venues , restaurants, and bars, and drew large crowds on weekends.

At the time of writing, no arrests had been made in the case, and reports suggest that police suspect multiple shooters to have been involved.

Several US agencies are involved in the investigation, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The area where the mass shooting took place has also been cordoned off.

The US is no stranger to mass shootings, defined as a shooting incident involving at least four victims (dead or injured), and has seen at least 403 such incidents this year itself. according to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA).

According to GVA, at least 12,416 people have been killed in gun violence this year in ths US.