Crime Stopper awards largest-ever reward to drivers who provided tips in Birmingham mass shooting investigation

A huge financial reward offered for information about the deadly mass shooting in Five Points South, Birmingham, has yielded dozens of tips.

Since the $100,000 reward was announced Monday, Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama has received nearly 50 tips.

“We haven’t seen anything like this since the Carlee Russell case, where we were getting a tip about every three minutes,” said Bob Copus, Crime Stoppers’ executive director. “We’ve been very busy, beyond normal.”

“We are seeing a huge mobilization from the community regarding this violent crime,” Copus said. “The community has had enough.”

The search continues for the gunman who opened fire with a fully automatic weapon on a crowd of people outside Hush Lounge on Saturday night.

Those killed were Carlos De’Juan McCain, 27, Roderick Lynn Patterson Jr., 26, Tahj Booker, 27, and Anitra Holloman, a 21-year-old single mother who lost her boyfriend to gun violence two years ago.

Seventeen other people were injured, four of whom are in life-threatening condition.

Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond said investigators were still working on the theory that the barrage of automatic gunfire was a “hit” – a hit-and-run killing targeting at least one of the men killed in the shooting.

He said he would not identify who police believe was the target, but two of the victims were involved in previous killings in Birmingham.

“There could be multiple motivations behind the individual that we believe was targeted. Others could have been targeted,” Thurmond said. “We’re still investigating that.”

“Some of the people who are killed have extensive criminal histories and, because of that, there is often a motivation from other people, and there are people willing to pay to have them killed,” the chief said.

More than 100 shots were fired shortly after 11 p.m. along Magnolia Avenue.

Birmingham police declined to comment on the status of the investigation on Tuesday, but no arrests have yet been made.

The FBI and ATF are assisting police in the investigation.

Thurmond said he was confident they would be able to catch those responsible.

“We will hunt you down and arrest you,” the chief said Monday. “100 percent.”

Birmingham shooting reward — The FBI and Crime Stoppers of Metropolitan Alabama have announced a combined reward of up to $100,000 for information about a shooting that left four people dead and 17 injured.(Contribution)

Woodfin said this about the unidentified shooters:

“It’s easy to see people in a lineup who are probably not armed, because to get into a club you don’t have to have a weapon on you,” he said. “As heinous as it is, it’s also one of the most cowardly acts we’ve seen. They’re cowards.”

On Monday, the FBI and Crime Stoppers announced the reward amount, up to $50,000 for each agency.

Frank Barefield of Crime Stoppers said the reward is for information leading to the identity of the suspects and is the largest ever offered by the organization.

The previous record was $25,000 after the kidnapping of Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney. The 3-year-old was abducted from a birthday party in 2019 and found murdered. Two people were arrested and convicted.

“It’s a life-changing reward,” Barefield said, “and you’re completely anonymous.”

The FBI reward is for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

“The purpose (of the reward) is to ensure that we eradicate violent and heinous individuals who seek to sow violence in our communities,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Birmingham Field Office Carlton Peeples.

Copus said the information received is specific.

“We’re not just getting a name, we’re getting a lot of information like who was angry at whom,” Copus said.

“Of course we don’t evaluate it,” he said. “We send it directly to Birmingham homicide detectives.”

“We don’t know if it’s good advice or bad advice, we just know that there’s a lot of advice coming in and they’re getting their own advice as well,” Copus said. “A lot of hours go into this work.”

“I hope we will have a solution to resolve this case,” he said. “We must put an end to this vicious cycle of violence.”

You can submit information to police here. You can also call investigators at 205-254-1764, Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777 or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).