Woodfin, Brandishing AR-15, Vows to Intensify Efforts Against Birmingham Crime Surge: ‘That’s a Death Machine’

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin brandished an AR-15 rifle and a Micro Draco handgun during his report to the city council this morning, pledging to "turn up the heat" on criminals following a weekend homicide spree in the city.

"This feels and looks like a military weapon to me," Woodfin said, displaying the guns used in city violence and calling for a crackdown on military-style weapons after a deadly Saturday. In roughly six hours, a man, woman, and child were killed in a triple homicide, and four more people died in a mass shooting at a birthday party.

"Should people be driving around with these?" he asked while holding the AR-15. "Because that's what they're doing."

At one point, Woodfin swung the AR-15 in a manner that prompted some council members to ask him not to point the weapon in their direction. "Council, I apologize—I didn't mean to," Woodfin said. "I'm sorry."

When he picked up the Micro Draco, he reassured the council members, "Finger's not on the trigger, everybody. Nowhere near it."

Woodfin invited Birmingham Police Officer James Skinner, a Marine veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, to discuss the firepower of the weapons. "That's a death machine," Skinner said.

"These types of guns are not used to hunt animals," Woodfin said. "They're being used to hunt down people."

"We had five homicides in the first five days of July," Woodfin stated. "It's important not to categorize these homicides as stats or numbers. These are people who are community residents, who have families. There have been several arrests in those first five."

One of the recent shootings was over a dice game, according to Woodfin. "The victim and suspect were playing against each other," he said.

Another homicide stemmed from an argument between two men who knew each other, both pulling out guns. Other incidents involved an illegal transaction in an apartment and a front yard shooting caught on video.

"We are not victim-blaming at all," Woodfin emphasized. "We’re compelled to ask questions, questions such as, ‘How do you police destructive behavior?’"

Woodfin also addressed the challenges of policing illegal transactions in houses or public parks and predicting homicides between acquaintances. "We are challenging ourselves to have an answer," he said.

He acknowledged public criticism of city officials and police, asserting that they are doing all they can. "We received a lot of criticism this weekend," Woodfin said. "We’re doing a lot, and we’ll continue to amplify what we’re doing."

Woodfin clarified that the mayor and police are not superheroes. "I'm not Batman," he said. "Police aren’t Batman."

He called for state law reforms to allow police to counter well-armed criminals, highlighting the state's permit-less carry law. "Locally, we don’t have control," he said. "We don’t put guns in people's hands, and by law, we're not allowed to take them out of their hands either."

Woodfin mentioned that the city previously seized guns when owners didn't have a permit. "You can drive around with this mini Draco, you don’t need a pistol permit," he said, holding the Micro Draco.

The mayor announced plans for more aggressive collaboration with federal law enforcement to combat all crimes, especially those that escalate into gun violence, including credit card scams, auto thefts, and gun trafficking. "What we’ve got to do is turn the heat up on everybody," Woodfin said.

He urged citizens to report houses where illegal drugs are sold. "We will turn the heat up on that house," he said. "They don’t give a damn about our community."

In addition to Crimestoppers, citizens can call Birmingham police at 205-254-6450 to report drug houses. "Do not be afraid to call that number," he said.

Woodfin highlighted the city's job plan to help people find legal employment. "Workforce opportunity is something we always talk about," he said. "But we’ve got a small portion of the population who don’t want to work, who just want to be in the streets."

He warned citizens to avoid associating with drug dealers. "Do not ride with them, do not be in the car with them," he said.

"People are not protecting women and children in this community like they’re supposed to," Woodfin said. "It is not safe. The lifestyle you think you may be getting from whoever this person is in drug activity, whether it’s money or clothes or paying your bills, or providing your children with clothes and shoes, it’s not worth it."

While holding the AR-15, Woodfin stressed that he was not anti-gun. "I support our Constitution; I believe in the Second Amendment rights, I do," he said. "As Americans, we can strike a balance and have common-sense gun laws that prevent the carnage from happening not just in Birmingham but across our nation."