Birmingham, Alabama - A tragic mass shooting in Birmingham's entertainment district has left four people dead and 17 injured. Authorities revealed that over 100 shell casings were collected at the scene, indicating the magnitude of the violence that unfolded late Saturday night. Preliminary investigations suggested that the perpetrators utilized illegal "conversion devices" during the attack.

These conversion devices, also known as "Glock switches" or "auto sears," can transform a handgun into a fully automatic firearm. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin highlighted the severity of the issue, calling these devices the number one public safety concern in the city and State. Police Chief Scott Thurmond emphasized the challenges associated with these devices, expressing concerns over the ease with which semi-automatic pistols can be modified into illegal machine guns.

The incident in Birmingham marks a disturbing trend in the proliferation of conversion devices across the United States. Shooters equipped with these devices can unleash a barrage of rounds in a short period, posing a grave danger to innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire. The rapid fire capability and reduced accuracy of these modified firearms have raised alarm bells among law enforcement officials and the public, leading to intensified efforts to curb their production and use.