[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 149 (Tuesday, September 24, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H5651]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               SHOOTING IN BIRMINGHAM'S FIVE POINTS SOUTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Alabama (Ms. Sewell) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. SEWELL. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise to 
honor the victims of the horrific mass shooting that rattled the 
Birmingham community over the weekend.
  On Saturday night, just after 11 p.m., 21 people were shot in 
Birmingham's Five Points South entertainment district. Four of them 
tragically lost their lives.
  Let me be clear: this, indeed, is a senseless violence and 
unacceptable, and it must stop. Our thoughts are with the families as 
they endure this unimaginable loss. Nothing compares to the pain of 
losing a loved one to gun violence. We stand with them in this time of 
great sadness, and we pray for a speedy recovery for those who were 
injured.
  I join in expressing my gratitude to the police officers and first 
responders, as well as our county, State, and Federal partners, for 
their quick response.
  My staff and I have been closely monitoring the situation, and we 
stand ready to assist the city of Birmingham in any way that we can.
  While this horrific tragedy has focused the eyes of the Nation on 
Birmingham, Alabama, the surge of gun violence is a reality that far 
too many of my constituents endure every day.
  Our communities are crying out for change, and we, as elected 
officials, owe it to them to do all that we can at every level of 
government to keep them safe.
  Again, I want to be clear: this senseless violence is unacceptable, 
and it must stop. That means bringing more resources to community 
organizations that are fighting to break the cycle of violence. It 
means teaching our children about alternatives to gun violence, and it 
also means passing commonsense measures to keep weapons off of the 
streets of America.
  Mr. Speaker, our thoughts and prayers are important. They are needed, 
but they will not bring back the lives of those lost to gun violence, 
nor will they prevent such tragedies from happening again.
  The Members of this body cannot continue to sit by as family after 
family, community after community, are torn apart. It is time for 
Congress to finally pass universal background checks, red flag laws, 
and a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
  It is also time for State officials in the State of Alabama to 
reverse the permitless carry law, which has allowed the unchecked 
proliferation of guns onto our streets. Only by taking meaningful 
action can we stem this needless loss of life.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to keep the entire Birmingham 
community in their prayers, and I hope that we can come together and 
turn this pain into purpose and do something about it.

                          ____________________