Some of the four people killed in a deadly Alabama shooting had “extensive” criminal histories and may have been killed in a “cowardly” manner. A hitman has been murdered, authorities announced Monday.
Gunfire erupted Saturday night as a “large group of people” gathered outside the Hush Lounge in Birmingham, Alabama’s second-largest city, local authorities said.
Multiple shooters arrived in a vehicle, got out and opened fire before getting back inside the vehicle and fleeing, authorities said.
There is a theory that these shooters were paid to kill certain people.
“Some of the individuals who were killed have serious criminal histories,” Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond told reporters. “And that’s why people are often motivated by other people and are willing to pay to have them killed. So that’s part of the reason for this.”
The four people killed were among 21 people injured by gunfire.
As of Monday morning, 12 of the 17 injured had left the hospital, authorities said.
Authorities are offering a $100,000 reward, $50,000 from the FBI and $50,000 from Crime Stoppers, for information that could help the case.
Many of those killed were “collateral damage” in the attack on specific targets, Thurmond added.
“You see, it’s easy to see people in a lineup who are probably not armed because to get into a club, you’re not allowed to have a weapon on you,” Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said. “As heinous as it is, it’s also one of the most cowardly acts we’ve seen. These are cowards.”
The four people killed were all Alabama residents: Anitra Holloman, 21, Tahj Booker, 27, Carlos McCain, 27, and Roderick Lynn Patterson Jr., 26.
Holloman was from Bessemer and the other three were from Birmingham, authorities said.
McCain was acquitted in early 2018 of murder and attempted murder charges in the 2016 killing of a teenager.
Anthony Cusumano, Donna Mendell, Madeleine Urabe And Helen Kwong contributed.
